Today, I’d like to begin with an obscure Catholic trivia question for the week. I’ve tried this out on various faithful Catholics for the past few days and nobody has been able to correctly answer it.
My question: There are only two Christian denominations in the world that can claim they’ve been Catholic and in union with Rome since their inception. The first is the Roman Catholic Church. What is the second?
Stumped yet? Read the rest of the article and you’ll find the answer.
A few weeks ago, I begun a series of articles called “One Voice, Many Faces”, which examined the diversity of Catholicism in the Chicago area. It was a good overview, though sadly many of these cultural treasurers and flavors of the church are not seen by the average Catholic parishioner. This week, I attended an amazing event that put the katholikos (universality) back into Catholicism. St. Denis Parish, located at 8301 S. St. Louis Ave. in Chicago (not to be confused with the similarly named Catholic parish in the area, St. Dennis in Lockport, IL) held an event called “Taste of St. Denis”. I had been invited to attend this event on Sunday, November 13th, 2011, scheduled to start around 12:30. I was a bit reluctant at first – lots of parishes have annual food festivals to raise money. Perhaps they’d have a crude wooden platform set up on the lawn with little old ladies hawking stale cookies they baked, I mused.
What I found was truly exceptional. Founded in 1951, St. Denis is celebrating their 60th Anniversary their year and held their annual Taste, which was bigger and better than any church food festival I’ve ever seen. It was a feast of hundreds of ethnic dishes, all prepared, cooked, and distributed by parishioners. For $5, attendees were given unlimited access to sample all they can eat. The “Taste” was held at Fullmer Hall, 8300 S. St. Louis Ave., which was a huge facility and the booths included sections for German, Austrian, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Filipino, Irish, Polish, American, and African-American specialties – with each area tastefully decorated to show off its ethnic flair (including the volunteers dressed in native clothing of whatever ethnic group they represented). The food was authentically made by people from those cultures… for example; the spicy tamales in corn husks at the Mexican booth would never been confused with Taco Bell food. The attendees were as diverse as the parish volunteers and table after table was filled with white, black, Asian, and Hispanic Catholics dining together as one. The pastor, Rev. Theodore L. Ostrowski, (known as “Fr. Ted” to the locals), kicked off the event with a welcome speech in English and Spanish (one elderly man behind me remarked “can’t understand what he’s sayin’” when the pastor spoke Spanish to some children), thanking all of last year’s attendees for returning and welcoming us new folks, then a prayer, and then chow time. Had I known this event would have been so enjoyable, I certainly would have done a column about it. But, oh well, they’re always next year.
St. Denis is a rare example of a church in America where opposites attract. We live in the 21st century now, but the fact is that most cases today, people tend to prefer the company of “their” culture, and segregate themselves rather than celebrate their differences. Much of this is a psychological thing – when they were making the original 1968 film “Planet of the Apes” for example, after the actors got into costume as chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas, the producers of the film observed that between takes, they began to mingle and dine with other “ape” actors cast in the same roles… people in gorilla suits preferred the company of other people in gorilla suits. A recent study found that church parishes are among the most segregated (by choice) institutions in America. But here’s the twist: it’s that mean ol’ strict and”intolerant” Catholic church has the most diversity. The study found that 15% of Catholic parishes in America were “integrated” with sizeable amounts of various ethnic groups, compared to only 5% of protestant churches.
For this third essay on diversity in the Catholic Church, I’m going to combine the best aspects of my last two columns: I’m profiling three suburban parishes, but I’m also covering three very different parishes that are shining examples of preserving their unique cultural traditions in America. Because if we can’t all just get along, can’t we at least preserve what makes us special and different?
The first parish I’m going to discuss answers the trivia question at the start of this essay. The parishioners are Lebanese, and not surprisingly, the name of the parish is Our Lady of Lebanon, located at 950 N. Grace Street in Lombard, Illinois. The pastor is Chorbishop Alfred Badawi. Hold on a minute! – You’re probably already getting confused at this point – did I just say Chorbishop? Yes, I did. This rank is roughly equivalent to Monsignor in the Roman Catholic Church. But the reason you’re probably not familiar with it is because Our Lady of Lebanon is a Maronite Church
The Maronites are one of the most interesting and distinctive groups in the Catholic Church today. How they came to be is probably a better story than the history of the parish itself. They trace their origins to St. Maroun (hence the name), a Christian hermit, mystic, and monk who died in 410 A.D. (the era of pre-denominational Christianity), in what is present-day Syria. His followers became the Maronites and formed the genesis of what is now the Maronite Church by establishing desert churches and monasteries. They strongly affirmed Catholic teachings taught by Rome during the Christian councils of early church history. Indeed, one of their prayers dates from 451 A.D. and states : “O Lord, preserve your children from all error or deviation, grant us to live and die proclaiming: ‘Our faith is the faith of [Saint] Peter, the faith of Peter is our faith!’ However, as the dark ages consumed the world, these desert Christians became further and further isolated from the rest of Christendom, and by the 1000 A.D., the Pope assumed the Maronite movement had died out since they had not contacted them in 400 years. The crusades brought missionaries from the Pope back into contact with Maronite leaders, who pledged their allegiance to Rome and affirmed the Pope’s authority as head of the universal church. To commemorate their communion, Maronite Patriarch Youseff Al Jirjisi received the crown and staff marking his patriarchal authority, from Pope Paschal II in 1100 AD.
Many of these parishes are named “Our Lady of Lebanon”, as they are especially devoted to the Virgin Mary, but they have their own unique traditions that are not found in other Christian denominations. For example, Mary is called “The Mother of the Light”, and her title is "Cedar of Lebanon." The crucifix is called “The Tree of Life” and it always depicted with 3 horizontal bars signify the unity of bishops, patriarch and pope - also unity of the Triune God, and is also shown with leaves that signify the life that flows from the saving cross of Christ. Prayers are addressed to “Jesus Christ, the High Priest”. Specific Ginnazat (i.e. Maronite hymns) are sung for men, women, adults, children, clergy, religious and laity. During the Feast of the Epiphany, holy water is blessed with a lighted coal to signify the fire of the Spirit who divinized the Jordan waters at Christ's baptism. At Pentecost, water is blessed with the priest's breath to signify the Divine Breath over the waters at creation. Maronites also have a fascinating blend of eastern Christian traditions they inherited from their region of the world, and western traditions they inherited from the crusaders and from French missionaries. For example, while Roman Catholics use statues and Eastern Orthodox use icons, the Maronites feature both prominently in their churches, as well as stained glassed windows depicting icons. The liturgy is chanted, but the service is called a Mass (rather than a Divine Liturgy) and there is no iconostasis (wall) separating the altar from the people, as that is a Byzantine tradition. They have their own unique altar facing the congregation. Children as confirmed at birth (as has been eastern tradition), but they have a first communion ceremony like Roman Catholics at age 7 (communion is distributed by dunking the bread in wine, then placing it on the tongue of the parishioner). Maronite priests in North America are expected to remain celibate, but can be married in other regions of the world. And what language do they use for services? English? Arabic? Lebanese? No, the Maronites use “west Syriac”. This is a dialect of Aramaic, the actual language that Jesus Christ spoke (a Maronite priest noted that the accent is different than the dialect Jesus used, though). This means when a Maronite priest says “this is my body, this is my blood” during Mass, he is using the exact words Jesus himself used 2000 years ago.
Today, there are over 3 million Maronite Christians in the world. Here in Illinois, Our Lady of Lebanon in Lombard is the central hub where they come to practice their faith. In recent years, they have become much more visible in the community, including host a Lebanese food festival every fall. The parish website notes that all practicing Catholics are welcome to come visit and attend their services, and prints a list of church etiquette for those who are probably not sure what to do in a Maronite Church. You can check our this parish at their website at www.ollchicago.org/
The next parish on today’s list is Roman Catholic and it’s under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Chicago. But don’t let the “Roman” part fool you if you think this might be more of what you’re used to than the previous entry. The name of the congregation is St. Paul Chong Hasang Korean Catholic Mission, located at 675 Dursey Lane in Des Plaines, Illinois. The pastor is Fr. Ho Chan Cha. The parish has a wonderful website (http://www.stpaulchong.org/) that I encourage you to visit, as it provides hundreds of colorful photos of every major church activity in recent years, and a detailed history of everything you’d want to know about St. Paul Chong Hasang. There’s one barrier to learning about the parish though: the website is entirely in the Korean language, as are the Masses. In both cases, there is no English option available.
The parish’s namesake, St. Paul Chong Hasang,was one of several Korean Martyrs that were killed for open expression of the Catholic faith. St. Paul Chong Hasangwas tortured and beheaded on September 22, 1839. He is considered a leading figure in the revitalization and growth of the Catholic Church in Korea, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984. As such, a number of Catholic regions in the U.S. began to set up “Catholic missions” named after St. Paul Chong Hasang. The Des Plains mission is one of the first; it was founded in 1984 and opened its doors in 1986. One important factor to remember is that Korean Catholic missions were designed completely for the purpose of appealing to Korean Catholics in the United States who are not very familiar with U.S. customs and have little command of English, thus they have a very difficult time attending typical U.S. Catholic parishes. During the 1950s and the Korean War, many South Koreans moved to the United States. South Korea is one of the most Catholic countries in Asia, as it now provides the world's second largest number of Christian missionaries and is home to over 5 million Catholics – more than 10% of South Korea’s population. For Korean immigrants to the United States in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, there were many barriers to praticing their faith abroad and confession proved to be especially awkward and embarrassing for those who spoke little English. As a result, Korean Missions provide these families with Korean priests and the opportunity to go to church on Sundays in a way that preserves and maintains Korean cultural traditions and holidays in the United States.
The Catholic Church’s Chicago Pastoral Center created quite an impressive environment for those parishioners at St. Paul Chong Hasang Korean Catholic Mission. It is not simply a meeting place for mass but a major Catholic facility in Des Plains that includes an athletic club with gymnasium, golf course, tennis courts, table tennis, badminton, parish Marathon run, and more. The parish includes a large cathedral and features a Laity Council, Mariae Viareggio, Choir Group, Marriage councilors, Youth Group, Young Adult Group, and Holy Spirit Prayer Group. Father Ho Chan Cha has regular speeches and homilies on every topic under the sun and invites people to his Lenten Tea get-togethers. It also has an outreach program to assist Korean Catholics, which is separated into 15 different zones. Together they encompass just about every area of the six-county greater Chicagoland area and provide transportation and assistance to people in other counties who may find it difficult to commute to Des Plains for Mass. The parish has an extensive education program in both Sunday school and in Korean classes for children. From looking at their photos, it appears their parish also has a huge variety of social events and meals that rival some of the best Catholic parishes in Chicago. The photo gallery boosts (at least the English translation does: “Our Parish is Beautiful”) But there’s one catch to attending St. Paul Chong Hasang though – you better come prepared to know Korean.
The final parish on today’s list is SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish, at 608 Sobieski Street in Lemont, Illinois (http://stcyril.org/) The pastor is Fr. Lawrence Lisowski. It’s located on the corners between Czacki St. and Ledochowski St. As you may have guessed from some of the names, SS. Cyril and Methodius is designed for Polish immigrants. It is a Roman Catholic parish under the Archdiocese of Chicago, but unusual in that most parishes named after St. Cyril and St. Methodius are eastern Christian parishes, especially Greek Orthodox parishes. This is not surprising, since their patron saints were brothers born of Macedonian nobility that became priests in Constantinople and became known for developing the Cyrillic alphabet and converting the Slavic people of eastern European to Christianity. Of course, Poland is an exception to that rule, it’s an eastern European country that is pretty heavily Roman Catholic. SS. Cyril and Methodius is perhaps the best place in the Chicago to learn about Polish culture in a Catholic church. That’s no small feat, considering the number of Polish Americans in the Chicago and the number of Catholic parishes here founded by poles.
What makes SS. Cyril and Methodius special is its rich history. As far back as the 1860s, Polish Catholics dominated the area, and the surrounding area was called Jasna Góra, in reverance to the shrine of the Black Madonna in Poland. The parish itself dates back to 1884, and is one of the first parishes in the Chicago area designed with polish immigrants in mind. Even the current building that stands on the grounds was completed over 75 years ago. Not only is designed with a polish community in mind, but the brick building itself, designed by Erhard Brielmaier and finished in 1929, is a preeminent example of Polish architecture and used today in classes as a definitive example of “Polish Cathedral style”. The church's steeple has the highest elevation of all churches in Cook County, a record unbroken since its dedication.Other Polish Catholic Cathedrals that date from that time, like St. Salomea in Roseland, are now closed, but SS. Cyril and Methodius has stood the test of time.
Over the decades, SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish has only grown larger and more impressive. In 1943, a notable shrine dedicated to our Lady of Perpetual Help was constructed in the chapel at the northeast corner of the church, dedicated at the time to parishioners serving in World War II. In the 1950s, stained glass windows were added to the church and a wrought iron railing at the parish gates that both remain in excellent condition today. In 1960, a ten classroom school and gymnasium were completed and blessed then-Cardinal Albert Meyer. The original shrine of Our Lady of Grace was built by parish volunteers, constructed of stones from the old limestone school and completed in November, 1968. Soon afterwards, the Parish Council was formally organized and its first meeting was held on February 11, 1969. In the mid 1970s, the parish’s “Helping Hands" food pantry was created to help the needy community in Lemont. In 1984, Cardinal Bernardin presided as the main celebrant at a concelebrated Mass marking the 100th birthday of SS. Cyril and Methodius parish. A banquet celebration followed at the Joliet Renaissance Center. In the 1990s, the parish was expanded with new office facilities, library, and computer lab and meeting facilities added in 1996. Then in 1999, the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa (The Black Madonna) was dedicated at a Mass presided over Cardinal Francis George. In 2004, a new and elaborate church entrance was designed, and in 2006, the section of the street that runs past the church was the honorary name “Pope John Paul II Way”. Most recently in 2008, a redesigned grotto was added to the church by Polish artist/architect Andrzej Urbanczyk and features the statue of Pope John Paul II praying to Mary in front of a piece of stone cut into the shape of the map of Poland. Carved into the stone are a cross and John Paul II’s apostolic motto: ‘Totus Tuus,´ (totally yours). Clearly, SS. Cyril and Methodius shows no sign of slowing down after 127 years. Today, the parish offers regular masses in both Polish and English and is currently home to 1,965 families.
So, while not every community can be like St. Denis and get a rainbow spectrum of Catholics together under one roof, I am pleased to see that Catholicism in Chicago can show a rainbow spectrum of Catholic cultures in one region around Lake Michigan. Our Lady of Lebanon in Lombard, St. Paul Chong Hasang in Des Plains, and SS. Cyril and Methodius in Lemont all do a fantastic job and maintaining and showcasing their respective ethnic groups to Chicagoans. Of course, you wouldn’t know that from the secular media. According to them we’re all alike and don’t tolerate differences. Guess we better start being trendy like those liberal churches that splinter apart every week.
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