Miracle on 41st Street:
Chicago’s Oldest Black Catholic Church Celebrates 85 Years

Photo: Leila Khaled

Saint Elizabeth was established to serve Irish Catholic immigrants in 1881. By 1920, Bronzeville had undergone a tremendous racial shift with Blacks pouring into the area from the South and Whites moving out. Saint Elizabeth’s church and school changed with the times and held segregated classes for its students. In 1924, most Whites had left the church and St. Elizabeth became the “Mother” Black Catholic Church and also served as the training ground for newly ordained priests. After Restrictive Covenants were lifted, written and unwritten laws that forced Blacks to stay in Bronzeville, Black residents moved further south and 38 new Black Catholic Churches were founded.

Saint Elizabeth, located at 50 East 41st Street, is dedicated to serving God and the needy. Father Richard Andrus, SVD known as Father Rick, says, “ We are nothing more and nothing less than instruments of God’s Will. We are challenged to a greater mission than ever before, right here in Bronzeville, and we will not be dissuaded from our mission. Violence, destructive habits, diabetes, AIDS are running rampant in our community and our youth are being swept by the gangster mentality. Even though we have made great strides, there is still more work to be done. We don’t have the luxury of resting comfortably.”

Photo: Leila Khaled

Every Second Thursday Saint Elizabeth operates a food pantry feeding hungry families and on Thanksgiving, the church feeds 300 people. Troubled youth are guided in new ways, trained in job skills, and receive counseling on a variety of levels. No child has ever been denied enrollment at Saint Elizabeth’s school, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. The church holds G.E.D. training programs, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and C.A.P.S. meetings.

Father Rick says, “We are standing on the shoulders of the strength of our ancestors. There is still much more work to be done. Alone, we can’t accomplish much. But, together, we can accomplish a tremendous amount.” Metropolis

If you would like to donate, volunteer on Thanksgiving, or on Second Thursdays, call 773-268-1518 or email StElizabethChicago@sbcglobal.net.

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