A cherished church located in the heart of Chicago’s Ashburn neighborhood for over 60 years conducted its final service on Sunday morning.
Constructed in the late 1950s, St. Thomas More Church is closing its doors due to what the Archdiocese of Chicago cites as a reduction in congregation numbers.
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For more than 65 years, St. Thomas More served as a spiritual pillar and community hub for families in Ashburn. Fondly referred to as St. Tommy More by locals, it was the first new parish established post-World War II, preceding much of the area’s subsequent development.
“On Sundays, we walked like little ducks down 82nd Street, following my two parents, and went to the nine o’clock Mass and sat in the fourth row on Mary’s side,” said William Lavelle who was raised in Ashburn.
Lavelle said his parents donated some of their own money to help build St. Thomas More. He said the closure came with little notice and no opportunity to respond.
“They’re not considering what impact the closure is going to have here at St Thomas More, this is a centerpiece for the neighborhood,” Lavelle said. “Without it, the neighborhood is going to decline.”
The congregation has withered over the years down to roughly 300 people.
READ MORE | St. Thomas More Catholic church closing on SW Side
Bill MacDonald has attended the church off and on since he was a boy. He believes the decision was made without parishioners in mind.
“The Archdiocese will not think out of their box. Their box is ‘800 people at Sunday Mass, $800,000 collections,'” MacDonald said. “Otherwise, ‘we’re going to close you down,’ and a nice community of 300 people are kind of sent away.”
Meanwhile, the church’s interior, featuring marble, mosaics and handcrafted Stations of the Cross, will no longer serve as the backdrop for Mass.
“I think it’s the way the Mass is celebrated. It’s a beautiful Mass,” MacDonald said. “It’s celebrated with dignity and sacredness, and I actually feel that Jesus is coming down to the altar when I go to Mass here.”
Father Anthony Brankin served at St. Thomas More for 21 years. He said he offered to come out of retirement if it meant his former parish could stay open.
“I would just say trust in God, and take care of your families,” Father Brankin said.
The Archdiocese of Chicago said St. Thomas More will be home to a Spiritual Resource Center, and while it won’t hold regularly scheduled Masses anymore, it will over space for a wide range of activities, ministries and experiences with an emphasis on African-American spirituality.
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