Category: Renew My Church

The merger of Queen of Angels Parish and our neighbors at St. Matthias Parish will take place on August 1. Monsignor Jim Kaczorowski has been appointed to be the Pastor for the new parish to be formed from the union of Queen of Angels and St. Matthias parishes. Temporarily, the new parish will be known as Queen of Angels and St. Matthias Parish until we can hold a process to name the new parish.

At the last in-person meeting we had for Renew My Church before all buildings closed down, it was agreed that one of the important steps in joining the two parishes is for parishioners involved in similar ministries to get to know each other. Though this work is made more difficult by the pandemic and social distancing requirements, phone calls and video conferencing can make it possible to take some first steps. Leaders of parish groups at Queen of Angels who would like to be in touch with their counterparts at St. Matthias are asked to contact the parish office at 773-539-7510 or parish@queenofangelschicago.org. Not all groups will have a current one-to-one correspondence, but we will do our best to match ministries together

Cardinal Blase Cupich has announced that Reverend Monsignor James T. Kaczorowski, current pastor of Queen of Angels Parish, will be appointed as Pastor of the parish to be formed by the union of Saint Matthias Parish and Queen of Angels Parish in Chicago. This appointment will be effective upon the establishment of the new Queen of Angels and Saint Matthias Parish now scheduled for August 1, 2020.  For more information regarding this appointment please see the documents below.

• • Letter from Cardinal Cupich announcing the appointment
  • Letter from Rev. Msgr. James T. Kaczorowski to the parishioners of St. Matthias and Queen of Angels
  • Emergency decree from Cardinal Cupish moving the merger date of the two parishes

About Monsignor James T. Kaczorowski:

After ordination on May 9, 1973, Father Jim Kaczorowski was assigned to St. Michael Parish in the South Shore neighborhood. He was reassigned in 1981 as Pastor of St. Adalbert in Pilsen. There he worked with the Latino community on justice issues, catechesis in Spanish and urban renewal through the Resurrection Project. During this time, he also served as professor of medical ethics at the nursing college of St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital (1984-1987), was Dean of the parishes in Pilsen and Little Village (1988-1992) and President of the Presbyteral Council (1992-1996).

In 2000, Father Jim became the Vicar for Priests while residing at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.  Since 2005, he has been Pastor at Queen of Angels Parish and the Dean of Deanery II-C.  He was given the honorary title of Monsignor as a Chaplain to His Holiness in 2010.  He has also been Administrator of Resurrection Parish in the Avondale neighborhood since September 21, 2018. Monsignor Jim is honored to be a parish priest, a servant leader in building God’s kingdom on earth, and helping parishioners and priests to become the best possible versions of themselves—spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and physically. 

Our Easter Season Journey to New Life: A Note from the Pastor
Dear parishioners,
As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord during this Easter season, we know deep in our hearts that the road to resurrection and new life may be the one we least expect. In his book Show Me the Way, Henri Nouwen describes our
Lord’s life as one of “hiddenness.” In other words, Christ’s journey toward resurrection and new life was paradoxically one of downward mobility, a life where power, popularity and ambition had no value.
The Light of Christ still shines through the darkness, even in the midst of this pandemic when coronavirus is attacking our world. Let us continue to be Christ’s light, reaching out to the elderly, infirmed, hungry, unemployed, and isolated. As we reach out to the most vulnerable, let us neither seek nor desire power, popularity nor upward mobility. Let our only concern be to fill the hearts of our hurting brothers and sisters with the warmth and love of Christ. May we also continue to be instruments of Christ’s light, breaking through and shattering the darkness that so many of our brothers and sisters are experiencing during this most challenging time.
Thank you for continuing to bring love, light and hope to others, especially those affected by this invisible enemy.As always, be assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones.

God bless and keep safe,
Monsignor Jim Kaczorowski, Pastor

Estimados feligreses,
A la vez que continuamos celebrando la Resurrección de nuestro Señor durante esta temporada de Pascua, sabemos profundamente en nuestros corazones que el camino hacia la resurrección y la nueva vida puede ser el que menos esperamos. En su libro Show Me the Way (Muéstreme el Camino), Henri Nouwen describe la vida de nuestro Señor como una de “ocultamiento”. En otras palabras, el viaje de Cristo hacia la resurrección y la nueva vida fue, paradójicamente, un viaje sin búsqueda de prestigio, una vida donde el poder, la popularidad y la ambición no tenían valor.
La Luz de Cristo aún brilla a través de la oscuridad, incluso en medio de esta pandemia del coronavirus que está atacando nuestro mundo. Sigamos siendo la luz de Cristo, cuidando a los ancianos, enfermos, hambrientos, desempleados y aislados.
A medida que nos acercamos a los más vulnerables, no busquemos ni deseemos poder, popularidad ni prestigio. Que nuestra única preocupación sea llenar los corazones de nuestros hermanos y hermanas heridos, con la calidez y el amor de Cristo. Que también sigamos siendo instrumentos de la luz de Cristo, rompiendo y venciendo la oscuridad que tantos de nuestros hermanos y hermanas están sufriendo durante este momento tan desafiante.
Gracias por continuamente brindar amor, luz y esperanza a los demás, especialmente a los afectados por este enemigo invisible. Como siempre, sepan que mis oraciones están con ustedes y sus seres queridos.

Dios los bendiga y los mantenga fuera de peligro,
Monseñor Jim Kaczorowski, Párroco

Next July, Queen of Angels and St. Matthias Parishes will merge to become a new parish. The archdiocese’s Priest Placement Board is working to identify a pastor whose gifts and skills will fit well with the particular needs of the new community. The board will propose a candidate for Cardinal Cupich, who will make the final appointment decision. All priests across the archdiocese, including the current pastors, may apply to become pastor of the new parish.

This week, representatives of the Placement Board will meet with our parish staff, the Parish Pastoral Council and the Parish Finance Council. The staff and councils from St. Matthias will also be present and contribute to this conversation. The purpose of this consultation is to gather input from leaders about the current state of both parishes, the expectations and challenges for the staff, and all that the pastor does to support each parish. The Placement Board takes this input into consideration. Because Father Larry McNally from St. Matthias and Monsignor Jim Kaczorowski are both candidates to be the new pastor, they will not be part of these conversations.

Parishioners are also asked to share their input. There is a simple, two-question form which we invite all parishioners to complete, either in the back of church after Mass or on the parish website:

Online version (type in your answers)

Download and Print the Form

The paper form can be returned directly to the Priests’ Placement Board or brought to the parish office or the church gathering space. Comments can remain anonymous.

Please pray for this process, so that the new parish receives the best leadership available. We will need to pray for a successful transition and renewal that will lead to greater discipleship, community and witness for our parish, your loved ones, and our entire Church.