Parishioners at St. Bernadette Parish in Evergreen Park gathered Sunday after Mass for a closed-door discussion about the recent announcement their church building is scheduled to close and the parish to merge with Queen of Martyrs Parish.
The meeting drew dozens of members with questions and concerns, said organizers, who called it a somber discussion but an important step toward getting longtime members looking ahead and accepting the near certain closure of their neighborhood church.
The Chicago Archdiocese announced the decision last month as part of its Renew My Church process, that consolidates churches as a way to shore up parishes with flagging memberships and growing costs.
St. Bernadette, founded in 1947 and poised to celebrate its 75th anniversary, is a mainstay in the community and the parishioners said they aren’t thrilled to see their church close its doors.
Laura Brennan, a member since she moved to the area in 1992, said she’s disappointed with church leadership.
“My faith isn’t shaken in God, but it’s my faith in the archdiocese,” Brennan said, as she left the town hall event.
She said she suspects the church might sell off the property as it’s grown in value. It sits adjacent to a OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center in an otherwise rather residential area. There have already been talks to sell the former school property to the hospital.
Still, she said the other churches are nice, and Brennan said she’s happy the church’s priests will make the move. Because of that, she plans to attend Queen of Martyrs after the merger.
“As long as long as Father (Benedykt) Pazden is going over there, yes,” she said. “If he wasn’t going to go over there, then no.”
There’s an online effort to petition the church hierarchy to save St. Bernadette, though it’s not clear how effective any petition will be. Even supporters aren’t optimistic.
John Woolley is a parishioner and a member of the feedback discernment team, a volunteer group tasked with listening to concerns of parishioners. He listened to concerns Sunday and said anyone can lodge a formal protest against the merger to church leadership.
“There’s going to be an opportunity for people to appeal it to Rome, but other than that, I think it is (a done deal),” he said.
Others on the feedback discernment team day Sunday’s event, while sad, was a touching reminder of how close the church community is.
“I think you could hear the tone, the respect that this is a wonderful church community,” said Eileen McNichols, another team member. “But also you could get the sense of the respect that everyone has for each other for our pastor and Father Bob (Tonelli). People are suffering a loss, and yet they’re being very gracious and they’re sharing their thoughts and I think that’s a hallmark of who St. Bernadette’s is.”
McNichols said the other churches in the Evergreen grouping, which includes Most Holy Redeemer Parish, have been receptive to accepting St. Bernadette’s community.
“Everybody from all three parishes was very impressed with our church,” McNichols said. “It is a beautiful place and it does feel like the presence of God is here.”
Even so, she said the decision was led by data, not animus. St. Bernadette’s just proved too small a congregation to keep.
“I think they set some bench marks and I think of the three parishes, we were the ones that were the farthest from hitting the bench marks,” she said.
McNichols said she wasn’t thrilled with the news, but it does make sense. Even so, for some longtime members the church was something of a second home.
Michele Kadich said her parents got married inside the original Quonset hut, built before the existing church building, and she, now an adult, spent considerable free time at the church both at Mass and volunteering.
“I drive 15 to 20 minutes from Palos Heights to be here sometimes two or three times a day,” she said. “We have 25% of people who attend Mass who travel greater than 5 miles to be here. It’s remarkable, and that’s one of the reasons people feel as strongly as they do about staying.”
Some of those people might not make the move.
“It’s change and change is hard for everybody,” said Charlene Bermele. “They do say in the archdiocese it is anticipated you will lose some percent of your population, for whatever the reason is.”
One of the reasons for the town hall was to get parishioners ready for change and to limit the loss.
“It’s all part of the process, some are moving quicker than others in the acceptance of this and it gives people a chance to voice their concerns,” Bermele said.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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