It is always sad when a church closes its doors. So many families devote so much of their time and talent to building and maintaining their worship space. But it continues to happen as more and more congregations shrink.
A while back, when St. Ethelreda closed, Father Fanelli rescued some of the statues, bringing them to St. Thomas More, refurbishing them and placing them in the Tommy More prayer garden where they remain today.
More recently, a beautiful marble altar was rescued by St. Rita Parish and now sits in the sanctuary of the church on 63rd Street.
And now, a new prayer garden in honor of the Blessed Mother is being created at St. Clare of Montefalco with the centerpiece being a statue from the shuttered St. Maria Addolorata Parish in New Town.
St. Maria Addolorata was closed by the archdiocese in 2022 after the parish merged with Holy Innocents and Precious Blood. The church building was erected in 1960, but the parish’s founding dates back to 1903. The Scalabrini Fathers established the parish to serve Italian immigrants. Now a developer is interested in buying the building to demolish it and erect an apartment complex.
The large statue of the Blessed Virgin holding a baby in her arms sat above the entrance to St. Maria Addolorata. It is now affixed to the outside east wall of St. Clare of Montefalco. The prayer garden will be located between the east wall and the gym, which is at 55th Street, midway between Washtenaw and Talman Avenues.
Development and green space on 51st Street
In case you haven’t been down 51st Street in a while, demolition has begun on the former Central Steel and Wire manufacturing plant. And something I was really glad to hear: Amazon, which is building a new distribution facility on the site, has prioritized creating green spaces outside of the building footprint.
Summer at the library and beyond
By now, Betty’s Ice Cream at 58th and Kedzie, thought of as the best soft serve around, is usually open with a line down the sidewalk. The opening has been delayed due to Betty’s health. The family is hopeful to be opening in mid-June or July.
St. Rita cheerleading tryouts
Know any girls interested in trying out for the St. Rita High School Cheerleading Squad for the 2026-27 football and basketball seasons? Tryouts will be held at the school, 7740 S. Western Ave., on Thursday, June 4, 6 to 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, June 6, 10 to 11 a.m. Forms for cheer tryouts can be found at https://forms.gle/iM56hagAmV157dBE6.
Things to do
The Walk and Listen Book Club for tweens and teens ages 10 to 19 begins at the Chicago Lawn Library on Monday, June 8, 2 to 3:30 p.m. The club will meet every second Monday this summer to go outside for a short walk while listening to YA audiobooks. From 2 to 2:30, the group will walk and explore, then return to the branch for a light snack and to discuss the book.
Adult DIY Crafts takes place at Chicago Lawn on Tuesday, June 9, 6 to 7 p.m. This month’s craft is a beaded stretch bracelet. Register at www.chipublib.org. And for tweens ages 10 to 13, learn the basics of crocheting with the Loop Troop Club at Chicago Lawn on Thursday, June 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. Materials are provided for new members. Registration ahead of time is required.
As the future of the main mall at Ford City continues to be debated, the Chicago Lawn Historical Society Glass Case at the Chicago Lawn Library is featuring photos of events and stores from the past. The display will change periodically as I have lots of photos to share.
The Southwest Regional Senior Center, 6117 S. Kedzie Avenue, will host a Swap-O-Rama sponsored by the Southwest Multi-Purpose Auxiliary Council on Friday, June 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Discover hidden treasures and unique crafts. Hot dogs will be available for a suggested contribution of $2.
A look back at 1976
Now back to 1976. When we left last time, we were headed over to 6025 S. Kedzie, where the business was giving a free geranium plant with every $5 order. I hadn’t realized that back then this business had eight locations across the area. Here are the rest: 2559 W. 51st, 5636 S. Pulaski, 6095 Archer, 5224 S. Damen, 3400 S. Halsted, 4117 W. 47th, and one in Elmhurst.
Jim K. was the first to recognize Miracle Cleaners. Jim tells us he dropped his dress shirts off at the Kedzie location every week. “They did a wonderful job, always trusted them.”
Now I think this might be a hard one, but you always surprise me. This week we are headed over to 2508 W. 63rd St. Fifty years ago, this was right next to King Brothers Funeral Home. Gerald King and his nephew John King, owners of the funeral home, have purchased the building next door and are having it demolished to make way for a parking lot for their business.
The building that is in the process of demolition housed a business that was in the community for a long time and could be considered a gathering place for the customers that frequented its services. We have talked about this business before, a few times in the past 30 years, so perhaps it will ring a bell.
What do you suppose the business was?
Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor correspondent Kathy Headley can be reached at 773-776-7778.