Although this was published previously on the STA Blog in early 2011, in anticipation of our gathering on September 30, a reminder of the past seemed to be fitting.
St. Thomas Aquinas Church
St. Thomas Aquinas Church at Washington Blvd. and Leclaire ave. on the west side of Chicago was founded in 1909 to serve Irish Catholics who lived in the territory between St. Catherine of Siena Church (then located at Washington blvd. and Parkside ave.) and St. Mel Church at Washington blvd. and Kildare ave.
Although 1908 has been listed as the founding date of this parish, contemporary newspaper accounts make it clear that not until July 1909 was Rev. Daniel J. Luttrell appointed pastor. He came to the Austin neighborhood from St. Genevieve church where he had been pastor since 1904. The new parish was bounded by Kinzie st. on the north; Madison st. on the south; Lotus ave. on the west; and Kenton ave. on the east.
On Sept. 25, 1909, The New World reported that:
"The new parish, of which Rev. Daniel Luttrell is pastor, has been dedicated to Blessed Joan of Arc. It is situated at 51st (Laramie) avenue and Washington blvd., and ground will be broken for the new church, Oct. 1. It will cost between $50,000 and $60,000."
While construction was underway on a brick combination church-school structure at 116 N. Leclaire ave., Mass was celebrated in a temporary frame building. By the time the new church building was dedicated on Sept. 11, 1910, the name of the parish had been changed to St. Thomas Aquinas.
The Sisters of Mercy from St. Patrick Academy at 2303 W. Maypole ave. opened the parish school on Sept 6, 1910 with an enrollment of 200 students. A rectory was completed at 5112 W. Washington blvd. and the Sisters took up residence in a two flat building at 103 N. Laramie ave.
The Catholic population of the Austin neighborhood increased rapidly. The first permanent church of Resurrection parish, located at 5072 W. Jackson blvd., was dedicated on June 11, 1911. In that year, the mission of St. Lucy at Lake st. and Mayfield ave. was reorganized as a parish.
Work on the present church of St. Thomas Aquinas began in 1923. A history of the parish written in 1973 contains the information that when Archbishop George W. Mundelein:
"objected to the height of the twelve-story tower (still the highest structure in the entire Austin area), Msgr. /then Father/ Luttrell went ahead and dedicated the cornerstone in 1923 without the Archbishop's presence."
On Apr. 25, 1924, Father Luttrell was named a Domestic Prelate with the title Right Reverend Monsignor. Unfortunately, he did not live long enough to see St. Thomas Aquinas Church completed. Msgr. Luttrell died on Dec. 13, 1924 and his funeral Mass was the first Mass to be celebrated in the newly roofed-in structure.
On Jan. 1, 1925, Rev. Edward L. Dondanville began his work in the parish; previously, he had served as pastor of Maternity, BVM Church since 1921. Under Father Dondanville's leadership, the interior of the Tudor Gothic edifice was completed. St. Thomas Aquinas Church, which is located at the northeast corner of Washington blvd. and Leclaire ave., was designed by Karl Vitzthum, a member of the parish.
To accommodate the 700 children enrolled in the parish school, the former church quarters in the combination building were remodeled into classrooms. A magnificent altar, designed by Henry Schmidt, was blessed on Thursday, Mar. 7, 1929. A distinctive feature of the main altar was a 30' bronze tower which contained "twenty clear standing figures."
In 1930, approximately 1,300 families belonged to St. Thomas Aquinas parish. With the generous support of his congregation, Father Dondanville was able to finance the construction of a spacious convent at 127 N. Leamington ave. in 1931. A community center was also completed at the same time.
At the closing of the World's Fair of 1933, Father Dondanville purchased the Kilger organ and this instrument was dedicated on Jan. 27, 1935 during a special concert in the church. A history of the parish published in The New World of Mar. 12, 1937 noted that the buildings of St. Thomas Aquinas parish were "prominently set out by the curve in Washington Boulevard near Laramie Avenue, the beautiful broadside of the church commanding a full view of this busy thoroughfare entering the city from the west."
Father Dondanville died on Apr. 26, 1938 at the age of 68. His successor, Rev. William P. Long, came to the Austin neighborhood in June 1938 from the north side of Chicago, where he had been pastor of St. Bonaventure Church since 1927.
In March 1947, Father Long was named a Domestic Prelate with the title Right Reverend Monsignor. Under his leadership, St. Thomas Aquinas Church was redecorated. According to a 1973 history of the parish, the effect of the renovation program was to modify the "smooth linear Gothic line of the Church with a series of paintings. The once darkly burnished wood of the ceiling presently is an array of brightly mottled colors."
During Msgr. Long's pastorate, parish membership increase to nearly 2,000 families. At the time of his death on Apr. 6, 1959, 785 children were enrolled in the parish school.
Rev. Laurence W. Fitzpatrick, former pastor of St. Joseph and St. Anne Church, was named pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas church in June 1959. In the 1960s, the South Austin neighborhood in which the parish is located began to change racially, from a white to a black community. As white families moved away from the parish, enrollment in the school declined steadily, from 748 students in 1965 to 597 students in 1968.
In March, 1968, Father Fitzpatrick was named pastor emeritus. He died on Sept. 29, 1969 at the age of 71.
Rev. Peter A. Franzen, former assistant at St. Martha Church in Morton Grove, Ill., was named pastor in March 1968. His brief pastorate, cut short by two heart attacks, was marked by the entry of St. Thomas Aquinas parish into a transitional, more community-oriented phase. Not only did Father Franzen incorporate the changes handed down by Vatican II, but he supported the efforts of parishioners to stabilize their community. By 1970, the South Austin neighborhood in which this parish is located was 40% black. Among the groups which worked to combat panic by unscrupulous real estate dealers was the Organization for a Better Austin (OBA).
After a two year study, the Sisters of Mercy announced that by September 1971, members of their order would be withdrawn from 10 Archdiocesan schools. On July 17, 1970, The New World reported that:
"Withdrawal of the Sisters of Mercy from a school does not mean the school must be closed. The Sisters have encouraged each local school to continue with an all lay faculty if at all possible. Primarily it is shortage of Sister personnel which has forced the withdrawal process."
The decision of the Mercy Sisters to leave St. Thomas Aquinas school received much publicity in December 1970. Enrollment in the parish school numbered 455 students, nearly all of whom were black. Parents protested the withdrawal of the nuns was racially motivated -- a charge denied by the order and by the chairman of the Archdiocesan school board.
An article published in The New World of Dec. 25, 1970 reviewed the controversy and noted that: "The withdrawals did not hit inner-city schools alone. Three of the schools are mostly black, seven are mostly white." When St. Thomas Aquinas school reopened in the Fall of 1971, the faculty included 12 lay teachers, one Sister of Mercy, one Franciscan Sister, and one Oblate Sister of Providence.
In 1971, Rev. Edward J. McKenna, a former assistant at St. Thomas Aquinas parish, was named administrator. Father Franzen served as associate pastor of St. William Church from September 1971 until June 1975, when he was appointed pastor of Holy Redeemer Church in Evergreen Park, Ill.
On Nov. 11, 1973, Auxiliary Bishop Michael R. Dempsey, Vicar Delegate of the West Side for John Cardinal Cody, presided at the 50th anniversary jubilee of the construction of St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Father McKenna, who received a master's degree from the University of Chicago in music composition, planned a special liturgy for this Mass. According to The New World, the music he composed incorporated "full congregational participation, both sung and recited."
At the time of the jubilee, a team ministry was in operation with Rev. Edward J. McKenna, Rev. John J. McCarville, and Rev. Charles J. Tobin as team members. The parish history noted that:
"In the past our Church was a symbol of the faith, devotion and dedication of a community that was largely Catholic . . . Today the building is still here and the tower still stands tall as a symbol of Christian service and leadership and a fortress of love, faith and vision to a diverse and largely non-Catholic community."
The priests, nuns, and people of St. Thomas Aquinas parish are leaders in the Austin community. Through their efforts, block clubs have been organized and better community services have been secured. Members of the parish have worked to ensure that buildings in the neighborhood remain in compliance with city housing codes. With the cooperation of the people of nearby Resurrection parish, a Community Service Center has been established on Madison st. St. Thomas Aquinas Church is a member of the West Side Parish Cluster."
In 1978, 400 children were enrolled in the parish school under the direction of one Franciscan Sister and 13 lay teachers. Rev. John J. McCarville is administrator of the parish and Rev. John W. Murray is associate pastor. Three permanent deacons -- Francisco Serna, Arthur Burton, and James R. Davis -- have been ordained from St. Thomas Aquinas Church.
Source: A History of the Parishes of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Rev. Msgr. Harry C. Koenig, editor, The Archdiocese of Chicago, 1980, 2 vol. pages 935-939.
We lived two blocks away in the early 60’s to early 70’s. My grandma went to early morning Mass, I believe 7 am, at St. Thomas everyday.
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