About Old St. Mary's · Chicago, Illinois
Old St. Mary's Catholic Church, originally named Saint Mary of the Assumption, is the oldest Catholic parish in Chicago, founded in 1833 when approximately 100 'Catholics of Chicago' petitioned the Bishop of St. Louis for a resident pastor. It served as Chicago's first cathedral parish from 1843 until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when its buildings were destroyed and the cathedral role passed to Holy Name Cathedral. The parish has been served by the Paulist Fathers since October 12, 1903, and its current building at 1500 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago's South Loop — the parish's sixth site — was designed by Serena Sturm Architects and dedicated by Cardinal Francis George on July 21, 2002. The parish operates Old St. Mary's Catholic School (opened 2004) and remains a downtown anchor known for its social-service outreach, the historic Paulist Choristers choir, and a congregation described by one archbishop as 'the church of the stranger.'
- Established
- 1833
- Patron
- Saint Mary of the Assumption (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Rich Andre, C.S.P.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Chicago
Why belong here
Old St. Mary's is the mother parish of Chicago Catholicism — founded in 1833 and shaped by 190 years of pastoral care — yet it remains a vibrant, welcoming community in the growing South Loop. A parish of the Paulist Fathers (in residence since 1903), it pairs downtown accessibility with deep liturgical and devotional life, including a celebrated music program, Adoration, daily Mass, a robust OCIA/RCIA process for adults and children, a thriving K–8 Catholic school, and a long tradition of outreach (Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul–era social services, Filipino ministry, ecumenical and social-justice work, a pro-bono legal clinic, and domestic-violence ministry). For newcomers to the city, commuters working in the Loop, or young families moving into the South Loop, Old St. Mary's offers both a sense of historic Catholic identity and the practical ministries of an active downtown parish.
Mass times at Old St. Mary's
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 4:00–4:30 PM
- By appointment: contact the priest on duty during parish office hours at 312-922-3444; Fr. Rich or Fr. Dan's Calendly link can also be used
About Old St. Mary's
Old St. Mary's is the oldest Catholic parish in Chicago, tracing its roots to an 1833 petition by about 100 'Catholics of Chicago' to the Bishop of St. Louis. Originally named Saint Mary of the Assumption, the parish served as Chicago's first cathedral from 1843 until the Great Fire of 1871. The parish has been in the care of the Paulist Fathers since 1903, and its current location at 1500 S. Michigan Avenue is the sixth site the parish has occupied, all in or around the Loop. The parish school, Old St. Mary's Catholic School, was established in 2004 in response to the growing number of young families in the South Loop.
History
Old St. Mary's history is the history of Catholicism in Chicago. From Father John Mary Irenaeus St. Cyr's first Mass on May 5, 1833, through log churches at State and Lake, the cathedral at Madison and Wabash, the devastation of the Great Fire, the era at 9th and Wabash as 'Old St. Mary's,' to today's 2002 building, the parish has been a continuous downtown Catholic presence for nearly two centuries.
- 1833 — Petition to Bishop Rosati of St. Louis; first Mass celebrated by Fr. St. Cyr on May 5, 1833; log church built near State and Lake.
- 1836 — Church moved to northwest corner of Madison and Michigan; open belfry added.
- 1837 — Fr. Timothy O'Meara arrives as second pastor from the new Diocese of Vincennes.
- 1843 — Fr. Maurice de St. Palais builds a new Gothic cathedral at Madison and Wabash; Diocese of Chicago established under Bishop William Quarter.
- 1846 — First Catholic grammar schools in Chicago (boys and girls) opened on the cathedral grounds.
- Oct. 8–9, 1871 — All parish buildings destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire.
- Oct. 9, 1872 — Parish purchases the former Plymouth Congregational Church at 9th and Wabash; no longer the cathedral, it becomes 'Old St. Mary's.'
- 1880s — Fr. Augustus Tolton celebrates Mass for Black Catholics in the parish basement.
- Oct. 12, 1903 — The Paulist Fathers take charge of Old St. Mary's at Archbishop Quigley's invitation.
- 1904 — Fr. William Finn, C.S.P., founds the Paulist Choristers (65-voice choir of men and boys).
- 1928–1967 — Fr. Eugene O'Malley, C.S.P., directs the Paulist Choristers.
- 1931 — Outreach to Filipino Catholics in the Archdiocese of Chicago begins.
- 1954 — Chapel opened at Wabash Avenue and Van Buren Street.
- 1961 — Downtown chapel opened.
- 1971 — 9th and Wabash church demolished despite landmark status; parish moves to the Van Buren/Wabash chapel.
- Sept. 2004 — Old St. Mary's Catholic School opens to its first preschool class under founding principal Barbara Spaniol-Smith.
- 2011 — New school building opens to over 260 students.
- July 21, 2002 — Cardinal Francis George dedicates the present sixth church at 1500 S. Michigan Ave., designed by Serena Sturm Architects.
- Nov. 10, 2024 — Fr. Rich Andre, C.S.P., installed as pastor.
Church Architecture and Design
The current church at 1500 S. Michigan Avenue, designed by Serena Sturm Architects, Ltd., was dedicated on July 21, 2002, and received the Association of Licensed Architects Silver Award in 2003. The worship space is laid out so every congregant is within at least 45 feet of the raised cherry-and-oak altar, with Amish-crafted red oak pews encircling the nave and a rounded immersion baptismal font in the narthex.
- Architect: Serena Sturm Architects, Ltd. (formerly Prisco, Serena, Sturm)
- Dedicated: July 21, 2002, by Cardinal Francis George
- Award: Association of Licensed Architects Silver Award, 2003
- East-facing stained-glass window by Cindy Kessler (Loveland, Ohio) — Psalm 113; BENE Visual Art Award for Stained Glass, 2003–2004
- West-facing stained-glass window near the Stations of the Cross — 'broken sun, broken Son' theme
- Stations of the Cross by Suzanne M. Young (Oakland, Michigan)
- Historic crucifix relocated from a previous Old St. Mary's church
- Sculpture of Our Lady of the Assumption in the Daily Mass Chapel, brought from an earlier church building
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is served by three Paulist Fathers: Fr. Rich Andre, C.S.P., as pastor (installed November 10, 2024), Fr. Dan Macalinao, C.S.P., as associate pastor, and Fr. Robert M. Cary, C.S.P., as senior Paulist in-residence. Lay staff include the director of liturgy and music, director of lifelong faith formation, school principal, business manager, parish events coordinator, executive assistant to the pastor, maintenance team, and receptionists.
- Fr. Rich Andre, C.S.P. — Pastor (ext. 29, [email protected])
- Fr. Dan Macalinao, C.S.P. — Associate Pastor (ext. 20, [email protected])
- Fr. Robert M. Cary, C.S.P. — Senior Paulist In-Residence ([email protected])
- Ace Gangoso — Director of Liturgy and Music (ext. 14)
- Elise Flick — Director of Lifelong Faith Formation (ext. 26)
- April Greer — School Principal (312-386-1560)
- Dawn Burns — Business Manager (ext. 23)
- Patti Murphy — Facility & Parish Events Coordinator
- Lauren Huelster — Executive Assistant to the Pastor (ext. 25)
- Lorena Villegas, Dennis Davis — Maintenance; Vanesa Jackson, Mamie Smith, Steven Torres — Receptionists
Faith Formation and School
Old St. Mary's Catholic School opened in September 2004 under founding principal Barbara Spaniol-Smith as a preschool, with a new school building opening in 2011 to over 260 students. The school serves the South Loop's growing population of young families seeking a faith-based education. Parish faith formation complements the school, offering Sunday Faith Formation for PreK through 8th grade, sacramental preparation, Youth Ministry for grades 6–12, Young Adult Ministry, and the OCIA / OCIY / OCIC initiation processes.
- Old St. Mary's Catholic School — PreK through 8th grade; principal April Greer
- Sunday Faith Formation (SFF) for PreK–5th and 6th–8th
- Sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation
- Youth Ministry (6th–12th grade)
- Young Adult Ministry
- Adult Faith Formation opportunities
- Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), Youth (OCIY), and Children (OCIC)
- Parent Advisory Team (PAT)
Ministries and Outreach
Since the Paulist Fathers took charge in 1903 — bringing a St. Vincent de Paul society, day nursery, boys' home, and working boys' club — Old St. Mary's has combined downtown evangelization with active social ministry. Today the parish maintains liturgical, faith-formation, welcoming, social-justice, ecumenical, and outreach ministries, as well as parish-school volunteer opportunities. A long-running outreach to Filipino Catholics continues, with Simbang Gabi and Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations each year.
- Welcoming Ministries: Greeters, Ushers, Sunday Hospitality
- Liturgical Ministries: Altar Servers, Lectors, Communion Ministers, Choir, Home-bound Communion, Liturgy Committee
- Social Justice and Service; Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Law Clinic
- Legion of Mary; Knights of Columbus
- Ecumenical and Interfaith Ministry
- Domestic Violence Outreach
- Evangelization; Stewardship Committee
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Committee; Simbang Gabi
- School ministries via Old Mary's Family School Association (osmschool.com/volunteers)
The Paulist Fathers at Old St. Mary's
The Paulist Fathers (Congregation of St. Paul the Apostle), founded in New York in 1858 to evangelize North America, have served Old St. Mary's since October 12, 1903, when Archbishop James P. Quigley invited them to take charge. Their tenure has shaped the parish's identity as 'the church of the stranger,' emphasizing social service, music and liturgy (the Paulist Choristers), and a downtown missionary vocation. The parish also hosts the Paulist Associates, lay men and women who share in the Paulist mission.
- Paulists take charge: October 12, 1903
- Founded 1858 in New York for evangelization of North America
- Paulist Choristers founded 1904 by Fr. William Finn, C.S.P.
- Fr. Eugene O'Malley, C.S.P., directed the choir 1928–1967
- Paulist Associates lay community meets at Old St. Mary's
- Fr. Rich Andre, C.S.P., installed as pastor November 10, 2024
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Mary Irenaeus St. Cyr1833–1837
Sent from the Diocese of St. Louis; celebrated Chicago's first Catholic Mass on May 5, 1833; built the first log church at State and Lake; recalled to St. Louis in 1837 after growing the parish to about 2,000 Catholics.
- Fr. Timothy O'Meara1837–c.1840
Sent from the newly formed Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana; second pastor; relocated the church to the northwest corner of Madison Street at Wabash Avenue in 1839.
- Fr. Bernard Schaeffer1837
Native of Strassburg, briefly assisted St. Cyr; died in 1837 shortly after St. Cyr's departure.
- Fr. Maurice de St. Palaisc.1840–1843+
Resident pastor from 1840; third/fourth pastor; built a new Gothic church at Madison and Wabash in 1843; later became a bishop of Vincennes.
- Bishop William (James) Quarter1844
Served as pastor of St. Mary's before being named first Bishop of the new Diocese of Chicago in 1844.
- Various diocesan priests1844–1903
St. Mary's continued as cathedral and then as a downtown Loop parish under diocesan clergy, with Father Augustus Tolton celebrating for Black Catholics in the basement in the 1880s.
- Paulist Fathers (community)Oct. 12, 1903–present
The Paulist Fathers took charge of Old St. Mary's on October 12, 1903, at the invitation of Archbishop James P. Quigley.
- Fr. William Finn, C.S.P.early 1900s
Established the internationally acclaimed Paulist Choristers in 1904, a 65-voice choir of men and boys.
- Fr. Eugene O'Malley, C.S.P.1928–1967
Director of the Paulist Choristers from 1928 until the choir's final season in 1967.
- Fr. Michael Kallock, C.S.P.pastor as of 2008
Quoted in Chicago Catholic's 175th-anniversary feature; reported an average of nine new parishioners a week in fall 2008.
- Fr. Brad, C.S.P.preceding pastor
Referenced as outgoing pastor in 2024 parish communications before Fr. Rich Andre's arrival.
- Fr. Rich Andre, C.S.P.2024–present
Installed November 10, 2024; previously Director at the Paulist Center in Boston; a Paulist priest since May 2012; originally from Pittsburgh, PA.