SSW 06.19.19

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY The South Side Weekly is an independent nonprofit newsprint magazine written for and about neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago. We publish in-depth coverage of the arts and issues of public interest alongside oral histories, poetry, fiction, interviews, and artwork from local photographers and illustrators. The South Side Weekly is dedicated to supporting cultural and civic engagement on the South Side and to providing educational opportunities for developing journalists, writers, and artists.

Volume 6, Issue 30 Editor-in-Chief Adam Przybyl Managing Editors Emeline Posner, Sam Stecklow Deputy Editor Jasmine Mithani Senior Editors Julia Aizuss, Christian Belanger, Mari Cohen, Olivia Stovicek Politics Editor Jim Daley Education Editor Rachel Kim, Michelle Anderson Music Editor Atavia Reed Stage & Screen Editor Nicole Bond Visual Arts Editor Rod Sawyer Nature Editor Sam Joyce Food & Land Editor AV Benford Contributing Editors Mira Chauhan, Joshua Falk, Carly Graf, Ian Hodgson, Maple Joy, Ashvini Kartik-Narayan, Morgan Richardson, Rachel Schastok, Amy Qin, Jocelyn Vega, Tammy Xu, Jade Yan Data Editor Radio Exec. Producer Social Media Editors

Jasmine Mithani Erisa Apantaku Sam Stecklow

Director of Fact Checking: Sam Joyce Fact Checkers: Abigail Bazin, Susan Chun, Elizabeth Winkler, Tammy Xu Visuals Editor Ellen Hao Deputy Visuals Editors Siena Fite, Mell Montezuma, Lizzie Smith Photo Editor Keeley Parenteau Staff Photographers: milo bosh, Jason Schumer Staff Illustrators: Siena Fite, Natalie Gonzalez, Katherine Hill Interim Layout Editor J. Michael Eugenio Deputy Layout Editor Haley Tweedell Webmaster Managing Director

Pat Sier Jason Schumer

The Weekly is produced by an all-volunteer editorial staff and seeks contributions from across the city. We distribute each Wednesday in the fall, winter, and spring. Over the summer we publish every other week.

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Cover Photo by Max Herman 2 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

IN CHICAGO

A week’s worth of developing stories, odd events, and signs of the times, culled from the desks, inboxes, and wandering eyes of the editors

Shining a Light in All the Wrong Places Mayor Lori Lightfoot made some headlines in the last couple of weeks for exchanging words with the FOP, the city’s largest police union: first with one of its vice presidents at a City Council meeting in which she accused the union of not being true partners in her effort for police reform, and later circulating a rumor that the union had instructed officers to “do nothing” over Memorial Day weekend (over which Lightfoot organized a heavilypromoted and ultimately unsuccessful anti-violence initiative). The spats are fun to watch for a certain kind of city politics-watcher, but coverage of actual, substantive issues around the CPD has been overshadowed.

Lightfoot, for instance, has reneged on her campaign promise to release the Inspector General’s report into the Laquan McDonald shooting—despite the fact that Inspector General Joe Ferguson, her friend and former colleague at the local U.S. Attorney’s office, has encouraged its release since Invisible Institute journalist Jamie Kalven made its secrecy a mayoral campaign issue. WBEZ was the only outlet to report that news. At a protest, civil rights attorneys representing community groups party to the consent decree over the city threatened to bring a motion to have the city held in contempt of court over the repeated police shootings and killings that continue apace; WBBM Radio and ABC 7 ran only brief stories about the protest.

Most concerningly, her chief CPD spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi spread misinformation about the county’s bond reforms that have resulted in the lowest Cook County Jail population in decades, improperly tying the release of nonviolent offenders with an uptick in gun violence over a given weekend. Not only were these claims not corrected in the media, but CBS 2 even based an entire story around it, while WGN 9 spread CPD’s incorrect inferences in other coverage; the Tribune let Superintendent Eddie Johnson, known for excusing police brutality, trot out similar claims unchallenged in an op-ed earlier this month. The only media outlet to catch these falsehoods was, embarrassingly for the local media, The Appeal, a nonprofit national website that focuses on criminal justice.

And yet coverage of the issues around policing in the first few weeks of Lightfoot’s tenure has been particularly wanting. Her public annoyance at a high-ranking cop taking a pre-approved vacation this month received far more coverage than her (admittedly slowwalked) comment that she may entirely remove police officers from CPS schools, an issue Ferguson and federal monitor Maggie Hickey have been pushing her on for weeks.

Her lack of movement on pressing police reform issues wasn’t brought up, however, in an “analysis” of her early missteps as mayor from Sun-Times horse-race aficionado Fran Spielman; rather, the vacation, the spats with the FOP, and her decision to have a retired U.S. Marshal head her security team were apparently far worse. And of her capitulation on other campaign promises, like the one that the city’s first casino would be publicly owned? Not a word from Fran; we had to go to the Reader for a proper analysis.

We’d chalk these media missteps up to giving the new mayor a grace period, but eight years of toothless Rahm coverage doesn’t leave us too optimistic. If Lightfoot is to make true on even half of her campaign promises, we’ll need local media that is willing to light a fire under her reform agenda.

IN THIS ISSUE una iglesia en el limbo

“¿Qué haces con una iglesia con techos de 70 pies y un baño y que sabes que necesita millones de dólares en reparaciones?” a church in limbo

“What do you do with a church with 70-foot ceilings and one bathroom and, you know, needs millions of dollars in repairs?” irene romulo, juanpablo ramirezfranco, malik alim, jenny casas, city bureau........................................3 churches of pilsen

Crowds of hundreds gather on 18th Street in Pilsen to watch the Via Crucis procession. irene romulo, malik alim, city bureau..............................................11 tradition amid change

Crowds of hundreds gather on 18th Street in Pilsen to watch the Via Crucis procession. juanpablo ramirez-franco, max herman, city bureau......................13 where we’re from

We become a cycle of placing loved ones on T-shirts and turning them into hashtags. christopher watson......................18 windy city: the city with less air to breathe

Pollution and the way we treat the city is hazardous for us. karla santiago...............................19 chicago’s “crooked smile”

“I went to my cousin’s classroom on the North Side once. That was like walking into a new part of Chicago that I never knew existed before.” keanna figueroa.............................20

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Una iglesia en el limbo

A church in limbo MAX HERMAN / CITY BUREAU

La Arquidiócesis cree que puede fortalecer a la Iglesia cerrando iglesias. Los feligreses de San Adalberto no están de acuerdo.

The Archdiocese thinks it can strengthen the Church by closing churches. St. Adalbert parishioners disagree.

BY IRENE ROMULO, JUANPABLO RAMIREZ-FRANCO, MALIK ALIM, JENNY CASAS TRADUCIDO POR MAGO TORRES PRODUCED BY CITY BUREAU

JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 3

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ra la tarde de un domingo de abril y Elaine Olszewski, feligrés de toda la vida de la Iglesia San Adalberto en Pilsen, bajó por las escaleras al sótano de la rectoría. Como presidenta del Club de Madres, estaba lista para decorar las mesas con manteles individuales y cubiertos desechables para la reunión semanal del club. En cambio, se sorprendió al encontrar la habitación, normalmente ordenada, en completo desorden.

Por todos lados había colchones sucios, botellas de cerveza vacías, cajas de pizza y bolsitas de marihuana. Las paredes estaban cubiertas de grafitis y las ventanas habían sido tapadas con bolsas de papel.

“Nadie sabía nada de esto”, dice Olszewski. “Al menos el sacerdote pudo haber llamado y avisarnos que se cancelaba la reunión".

Eventualmente, otro feligrés le informó a ella y a otros que el sótano había sido alquilado para la grabación de un programa de televisión. Las pequeñas bolsas de marihuana y el graffiti eran de utilería. Esta fue una novedad para el pequeño grupo de mujeres de 80 años, que se vieron obligadas a reprogramar su reunión del Club de Madres.

Cuando la Arquidiócesis anunció en febrero de 2016 que iba a consolidar las

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n a Sunday afternoon this April, Elaine Olszewski, a lifelong parishioner of St. Adalbert Church in Pilsen, walked down the church stairs to the rectory basement. As president of the Mothers Club, she was ready to decorate the tables with matching paper cutlery and placemats for the club’s weekly meeting.

Instead, she was shocked to find the usually tidy room in disarray.

Strewn about the room were dirty mattresses, empty beer bottles, pizza boxes and small bags of marijuana. The walls were covered in graffiti and the windows had been taped over with brown paper bags.

“Nobody knew anything about it,” says Olszewski. “At least the priest could have called and let us know that the meeting was canceled.”

Another parishioner eventually informed her and others that the basement had been rented out as a set for an upcoming television show. The small bags of marijuana and graffiti were fake. This was news to the small group of eighty-year-old women who were forced to reschedule their Mothers Club meeting.

When the Archdiocese announced 4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

seis iglesias de Pilsen en tres, los feligreses de San Adalberto no imaginaron lo caótico que sería el proceso. Las reuniones y eventos cancelados se volvieron más y más comunes. Hubo un acuerdo fallido de bienes raíces, varias sociedades de preservación compitiendo por su futuro y un desafío legal que llegó hasta el Vaticano.

Además, los feligreses más dedicados de San Adalberto dicen estar decepcionados porque la institución en la que depositaron su confianza no los tomó en cuenta en las decisiones sobre el futuro de su iglesia. Los que todavía luchan por mantener la iglesia como un espacio sagrado y de la comunidad, se están quedando sin opciones.

La feligresía de San Adalberto no está sola. En septiembre de 2015, la Arquidiócesis de Chicago anunció la iniciativa Renueva Mi Iglesia, la cual pretendía fortalecer la comunidad existente y al mismo tiempo alentar a los fieles a traer a otros al rebaño.

La parte más visible y controvertida del plan es el proceso de "Agrupación Parroquial", que organizó las cerca de 400 parroquias de Chicago en 97 grupos. Cada grupo comparte un sacerdote, un presupuesto, un consejo de finanzas y un consejo parroquial.

Como parte de Renueva Mi Iglesia, la Arquidiócesis ha decidido cerrar 10

iglesias, incluyendo la de San Adalberto.

Tan sólo en este año anunció 18 fusiones parroquiales, que implican el cierre de ocho iglesias. Recientemente, otra ronda de consolidaciones de esta iniciativa en Chicago provocó enojo en Bridgeport, Canaryville y Chinatown.

Algunas personas de Chicago, como Anina Jakubowski, feligresa de San Adalberto, se refieren al programa como “Arruina mi Iglesia”. Para ella, "no hay nada positivo al respecto. Esto es perjudicar a cualquier iglesia que tenga una congregación sólida”.

La Iglesia Católica está en crisis por diferentes razones. La asistencia a las misas ha disminuido en un 35% desde 1990, según sus propios números. El número de sacerdotes también ha disminuido, y muy pocos están siendo ordenados cada año.

Con menos feligreses se reciben menos donaciones, y la iglesia ha gastado millones de dólares en demandas judiciales por los escándalos de abusos sexuales cometidos por sacerdotes alrededor del mundo.

Para una organización con menos demanda y menos recursos financieros, la consolidación puede tener sentido. Pero como lo han visto los feligreses de San Adalberto, y como la Arquidiócesis de

in February 2016 that it would be consolidating Pilsen’s six churches into three, parishioners at St. Adalbert could not have imagined how messy that would look. Canceled classes and events meetings became more and more common. There was a failed real estate deal, several preservation societies and a legal challenge that went all the way to the Vatican. Through it all, St. Adalbert’s most dedicated worshippers say they’ve been let down and left out by the institution in which they placed so much trust. Those who are still fighting are running out of options.

They’re not alone. In September 2015, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced the Renew My Church initiative, which purported to strengthen the existing church community while encouraging the faithful to bring others into the fold. But the most visible and controversial part of the plan is the “parish grouping” process, which organized Chicago’s nearly 400 parishes into ninety-seven groups. Each group shares a priest, a budget, a finance council and a parish council.

In the process, the Archdiocese has moved to close ten churches—including

St. Adalbert’s. This year alone, it announced eighteen new parish mergers, which entailed eight church closings. Recently, another Renew My Church merger in Chicago has drawn ire in Bridgeport, Canaryville, and Chinatown.

Some Chicagoans, like St. Adalbert parishioner Anina Jakubowski, refer to the program as “Ruin My Church.” She says, “There’s nothing positive about it. It’s very much decimating any church that has any bit of congregation there.”

By many measures, the Catholic Church is in crisis. Mass attendance has dropped thirty-five percent since 1990, according to its own numbers. The number of priests has also declined, and too few are being newly ordained each year. With fewer parishioners comes fewer donations—and the Church has also spent millions settling lawsuits in the priest sex abuse scandals that have swept the globe.

For an organization facing less demand with fewer financial resources, consolidation can make a lot of sense. But as the parishioners at St. Adalbert have seen, and as the Archdiocese of Chicago is finding out, closing a church can be just as

Chicago se está enterando, cerrar una iglesia puede ser tan difícil como mantenerla abierta.

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undada en 1874, San Adalberto se encuentra en el corazón de Pilsen, en la calle 17 entre Paulina y la avenida Ashland. Sus torres, construidas ladrillo a ladrillo por inmigrantes polacos, se pueden ver desde cualquier lugar en el barrio. En el interior, las columnas de mármol, un órgano Kimball de más de 100 años y las vitrinas están inspiradas en la Basílica de San Pablo Extramuros en Roma.

La iglesia, que una vez fue lugar de culto para la feligresía polaca, ahora sirve a una comunidad diversa de fieles mexicanos, polacos, y nuevos residentes de Pilsen.

Cuando los inmigrantes mexicanos comenzaron a establecerse en Pilsen durante los años sesenta, las iglesias fueron algunas de las primeras organizaciones en darles la bienvenida al barrio. San Adalberto, por ejemplo, agregó una misa en español a su rotación a mediados de los años setenta.

Tomó casi 150 años construir a San Adalberto en la comunidad que es hoy, y aproximadamente diez meses decidir cerrarla.

En abril de 2015, sacerdotes,

difficult as keeping one open.

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ounded in 1874, St. Adalbert is located in the heart of Pilsen on 17th street between Paulina and Ashland Avenue. Its towers, built brick-bybrick by Polish immigrants, are visible no matter where you are in the neighborhood.

Inside, the marble columns, 100-year old Kimball organ and stained glass windows are modeled after the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

The church, once worship site for a largely Polish base of parishioners, now serves a diverse community of Mexican and Polish worshippers as well as new residents of Pilsen.

When Mexican immigrants began to settle in Pilsen throughout the 1960s, the churches were some of the first organizations to welcome them to the neighborhood. St. Adalbert’s, for example, added Spanish-language Mass to its rotation in the mid-1970s.

It took nearly 150 years to build St. Adalbert into the community it is today, and about ten months to decide to close it.

In April 2015, priests, representatives

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MAX HERMAN / CITY BUREAU

Blanca Torres es la vicepresidenta de la Sociedad de Preservación San Adalberto. Su familia ha sido parte de la comunidad de San Adalberto por dos generaciones.

Blanca Torres is the vice president of the St. Adalbert Preservation Society. Her family has been a part of the St. Adalbert community for two generations.

YOUNGRAE KIM / CITY BUREAU

En los últimos dos años, Julie Sawicki ha encabezado un plan para convertir el convento detrás de San Adalberto en un hotel, y con el ingreso pagar el mantenimiento de toda la propiedad.

For the last two years, Julie Sawicki has been spearheading a plan to turn the convent behind St. Adalbert's into a bed & breakfast to pay for upkeep of the entire property.

representantes de las órdenes religiosas dominica y jesuita y funcionarios de la Arquidiócesis se reunieron para comenzar el proceso de planificación para consolidar o cerrar las parroquias de Pilsen. Estas reuniones continuaron durante el verano y en septiembre se dio una breve presentación sobre el proceso en un servicio de oración abierto a toda la comunidad. Sobre este proceso, la Arquidiócesis dice que tres feligreses de cada iglesia se unieron a un "comité directivo recientemente desarrollado" que se reunió regularmente en el otoño, antes de que se hiciera la

recomendación final.

La Arquidiócesis solicitó comentarios a través de "varias reuniones a las que los feligreses podían asistir en su parroquia individual" y una encuesta distribuida en la misa, según explica Anne Masselli, directora de comunicaciones.

“Yo creo que no involucraron a la comunidad, a lo que yo tengo entendido. Los encargados de las iglesias anduvieron viendo eso. Pero pienso yo que a la comunidad— no estoy segura—pero pienso yo que no nos preguntaron si queríamos o no queríamos [que cerraran nuestra iglesia]”, dice Ofelia

Andrade, feligresa por quince años.

El Padre Michael Enright, párroco de San Adalberto, se negó a comentar sobre este artículo. Pero algunos feligreses sienten que su parroquia no estuvo representada adecuadamente en estas reuniones de planificación. En aquel tiempo, los feligreses de San Adalberto no tenían su propio sacerdote dedicado a representarlos, ya que el Padre Enright estaba a cargo tanto de San Pablo como de San Adalberto, y únicamente un grupo selecto de individuos podía asistir a las reuniones.

“No estamos seguros de por qué ciertos

feligreses sienten que no estaban al tanto del proceso de toma de decisiones, ya que duró casi un año y fue diseñado para incluir aportes de todas las parroquias afectadas”, escribió Masselli en un correo electrónico.

Cuando se le preguntó si la Arquidiócesis había cambiado su enfoque sobre el cierre de iglesias después de escuchar a los feligreses molestos por el proceso de San Adalberto, Maselli escribió, “en cuanto a las lecciones aprendidas, ahora tenemos un proceso formalizado y tenemos recursos adicionales y experimentados para acompañar a las parroquias. A través del proceso de toma de

from the Dominican and Jesuit religious orders and archdiocesan officials met to begin the planning process to consolidate or close Pilsen parishes. These meetings continued through the summer and in September, a brief presentation about the process was given at a prayer service at St. Adalbert, open to the entire community.

The Archdiocese says non-leadership parishioners from each church joined a “newly developed steering committee” which met regularly in the fall, before the

final recommendation was made.

The Archdiocese solicited feedback through “multiple meetings that parishioners could attend at their individual parish” and a survey distributed at Mass, according to Anne Masselli, director of communications.

“I don’t think they involved the community. From what I understand, the ones in charge of the church were the ones more involved in the process but I don’t think, I’m not sure, but I don’t think they

ever asked us if we wanted [our church closed] or not,” says Ofelia Andrade, a parishioner for fifteen years.

Father Michael Enright, priest of St. Adalbert’s, declined to comment on this article. But some parishioners feel that their parish was not adequately represented in these planning meetings. At the time, St. Adalbert did not have its own dedicated priest to advocate on its behalf, as Father Enright was in charge of both St. Paul and St. Adalbert, and only a select group

of individuals were allowed to attend the meetings.

“We’re not sure why certain parishioners feel they were not aware of the decision-making process, as it lasted nearly a year and was designed to include input from all of the affected parishes,” Masselli wrote in an email.

When asked if the Church had changed its approach to church closings after hearing from parishioners upset about the St. Adalbert process, Maselli wrote, JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5

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YOUNGRAE KIM / CITY BUREAU

Ofelia Andrade cocina papas para rellenar las enchiladas que venderá a los feligreses después de la misa del domingo, para recaudar fondos para la Iglesia de San Adalberto.

YOUNGRAE KIM / CITY BUREAU

Anina Jakubowski maneja desde Downers Grove, IL cada domingo para ir a misa.

Su madre luchó también para salvar a la iglesia de un posible cierre en 1974.

Ofelia Andrade cooks potatoes to fill enchiladas that she will sell to parishioners after Sunday Mass to raise money for St. Adalbert Church.

Anina Jakubowski drives from Downers Grove, IL every Sunday to attend Mass at St. Adalbert. Her mother also fought to save the church from a potential closure in 1974.

decisiones y para proporcionar orientación y ayudar a implementar el nuevo plan operativo posterior a la consolidación, cuando sea necesario”. na vez que se ha tomado la decisión de cerrar una iglesia, la Arquidiócesis comienza un proceso similar a la venta de cualquier otro edificio grande: se contratan corredores que evalúan el valor de la propiedad y la ponen en el mercado.

Eric Wollan, director de bienes de capital en la Arquidiócesis de Chicago, describe la decisión de vender una iglesia como una cuestión de maximizar su valor para la parroquia a la que sirve. Él dice que

cuando la asistencia a la iglesia es baja, “en última instancia, reconocemos que tenemos instalaciones que no son centrales, que no son críticas para la misión de la iglesia o la misión de la parroquia en el futuro”.

Si se vende la propiedad de San Adalberto, los ingresos seguirán a sus feligreses hasta San Pablo, dice Wollan.

Pero vender una iglesia tiene desafíos únicos. A diferencia de otras propiedades, una antigua iglesia necesita ser desconsagrada, o despojada de su designación espiritual, antes de que pueda ser reutilizada. El proceso involucra un decreto oficial de la iglesia, en este caso emitido por Blase Cupich,

arzobispo de Chicago, que diga que la propiedad ya no es un lugar de culto, aunque no puede usarse para propósitos “profanos”.

Otras estipulaciones de la iglesia se pueden establecer a perpetuidad a través de restricciones en la escritura de la propiedad, explica Angelo Labriola, vicepresidente de SVN Chicago Commercial y uno de los corredores principales de San Adalberto y de Santa Anna, otra iglesia en Pilsen que como parte del plan de reconfiguración fue cerrada y vendida en enero del 2019 para construir condominios. La escritura de San Adalberto incluye una larga lista de restricciones, como la prohibición de la clonación humana, la

anticoncepción, el satanismo, la lectura de palmas, la pornografía, los talleres mecánicos y cualquier otra cosa que “represente actividades o estilos de vida ilegales bajo una luz favorable”.

La Arquidiócesis tiene una variedad de posibles compradores para San Adalberto, pero habitualmente trabaja con promotores residenciales e instituciones educativas, según Wollan. Algunas iglesias de alto perfil en Chicago se han convertido en condominios de lujo, espacios para eventos, y hasta una escuela para artistas de circo.

Labriola estima que una propiedad como San Adalberto —con sus 100,000 pies

“As for lessons learned, we now have a formalized process and we have additional, experienced resources to accompany the parishes through the decision-making process and to provide guidance and to help implement the new operating plan post-consolidation, when necessary.”

it on the market.

Eric Wollan, director of capital assets at the Archdiocese of Chicago, describes the decision to sell a church as a matter of maximizing its value to the parish it serves. When church attendance is low, he says, “ultimately we recognize that we have facilities that aren’t central, aren’t critical to the church’s mission or the parish’s mission going forward.”

If the St. Adalbert property is sold, the proceeds will follow its parishioners to St. Paul, Wollan says.

But selling a church has its own unique challenges. Unlike other properties, a former church needs to be deconsecrated, or stripped of its spiritual designation, before it can be repurposed. The process involves an official decree from the church, in this case from Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago, saying the property is no longer a house of worship but still cannot be used for “profane” purposes.

Other church stipulations can be enforced in perpetuity through deed restrictions, explains Angelo Labriola, vice

president at SVN Chicago Commercial and one of the lead brokers for St. Ann and St. Adalbert. The St. Adalbert deed includes a long list of restrictions, including prohibition of human cloning, contraception, Satanism, palm-reading, porn, auto body shops and anything that “portrays unlawful activity or lifestyles in a favorable light.”

The Archdiocese entertains a range of suitors, but most commonly deals with residential developers and educational institutions, according to Wollan. A few

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nce the decision has been made to close a church, the Archdiocese begins a process not unlike selling any other large building. It hires brokers, who assess the value of the property and put 6 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

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cuadrados en cuatro edificios, sobre un lote de 2.14 acres— podría venderse entre 45 y 75 dólares por pie cuadrado. El comprador también debe considerar los costos de rehabilitación, los costos de construcción para transformar el edificio y el tiempo necesario para garantizar un cambio de zonificación, si es necesario. Dependiendo del comprador, el edificio puede no conservar su estado de exención de impuestos, por lo que los impuestos a la propiedad son también un factor a considerar.

SVN ha tenido a San Adalberto en el mercado desde septiembre de 2018. Durante este lapso de tiempo, Labriola estima que entre 20 y 30 grupos se han acercado a revisar la propiedad.

Los compradores potenciales han presentado planes que implican la demolición de todos los edificios en el lote, dice el vicepresidente de SVN, Paul Cawthon, quien es el otro corredor principal que trabaja con Labriola en la venta de la propiedad. Pero la iglesia no aceptará esas ofertas a pesar de que esos compradores podrían ofrecer un precio más alto que el de alguien que busca preservar los edificios, explicó Cawthon.

“San Adalberto es, antes que nada, una iglesia maravillosa, por eso, la intención es

siempre salvarla (el edificio)”, dice Labriola. “[El comprador] necesita poder idear un plan viable, para el futuro de la iglesia y para la propiedad”.

Cawthon y Labriola estiman que para que el uso del convento sea seguro, las reparaciones tendrían un costo de entre dos y tres millones de dólares. En cuanto a la estructura de la iglesia, Cawthon estimó que las reparaciones a las torres costarían entre otros dos y cinco millones adicionales.

Y esos millones de dólares en reparaciones son antes de que un desarrollador le de otro tipo de uso al edificio. Esto quiero decir que cualquier persona dispuesta a comprar San Adalberto debe tener al menos unos cuantos millones a la mano. Ambos corredores dejaron en claro que hay desarrolladores que tienen esa cantidad de dinero y podrían asumir un proyecto como el de San Adalberto, pero aprobarlos depende del plan que tengan.

“No puedes reutilizar una iglesia, es difícil,” explica Cawthon. “¿Qué haces con una iglesia con techos de 70 pies y un baño y que sabes que necesita millones de dólares en reparaciones?”

high-profile church conversions in Chicago have included luxury condominiums, event spaces and even a school for circus performers.

Labriola estimates that a property like St. Adalbert’s—with its 100,000 square feet across four buildings, on top of a 2.14acre lot—could sell for a range between forty-five to seventy-five dollars per square foot. The buyer also needs to consider the rehabilitation costs, the construction costs to transform the building and the time it takes to secure a zoning change if needed.

Depending on the buyer, the property may not retain its tax-exempt status, so property taxes are also a factor.

SVN has had St. Adalbert on the market since September 2018. In that time, Labriola estimates twenty to thirty groups have reached out to tour the property.

Potential buyers have come forward with plans that involved demolishing all the buildings on the lot, says SVN vice president Paul Cawthon, who is the other lead broker working with Labriola on the sale. But the church will not accept those bids, he says, even though those developers could likely offer a higher price than

someone looking to preserve the buildings.

“St. Adalbert’s first and foremost is a stunning church, so the intent is always to save the church [building],” says Labriola. “[The buyer] needs to be able to come up with a viable plan, for the future of the church and for the property.”

Cawthon and Labriola estimate that repairs to make the convent safe for use would be between two to three million dollars. As for the actual church structure, Cawthon estimated repairs to the towers would cost another two to five million.

And those millions of dollars in repairs are before a developer can turn the building into anything else. That’s all to say, anyone ready to buy St. Adalbert needs to have at least a few million handy. And both brokers made clear that there are developers who have that kind of money and could take on a project like St. Adalbert’s—it all just depends on the plan.

“You can’t repurpose a church—it’s hard,” Cawthon explains. “What do you do with a church with 70-foot ceilings and one bathroom and, you know, needs millions of dollars in repairs?”

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lanca Torres estaba en el baile de San Valentín con los feligreses de San Adalberto cuando escuchó que cerrarían su iglesia.

Torres creció al otro lado de la calle de San Adalberto. Allí fue a la escuela primaria, y sus padres fueron algunas de las primeras personas que solicitaron la misa en español a principios de los setenta. Su padre sirvió como acólito y su madre enseñó clases de catecismo durante los fines de semana.

Cuando crecieron, su hermana se casó e incluso allí bautizó a sus hijos.

“Yo estaba llorando, y mi mamá también”, dice Torres sobre el momento en que se enteraron de que San Adalberto cerraría las puertas. “Dije, bueno, está bien, saca eso de tu sistema, llora, lo que sea, pero luego necesitamos formular lo que necesitamos empezar a hacer”.

Poco después del anuncio, Torres y otros ocho feligreses crearon la Sociedad de Preservación de San Adalberto (SAPS, por sus siglas en inglés), que dos meses después se incorporó como una organización sin fines de lucro y comenzó a recaudar fondos.

Bajo la guía de Brody Hale, abogado de Massachusetts que creó la Sociedad de Preservación de la Iglesia Católica, SAPS pudo navegar el proceso de convertirse en

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lanca Torres was with her fellow St. Adalbert parishioners at the Valentine’s Day dance when she heard her church was closing.

Torres grew up across the street from St. Adalbert’s. She went to grade school there, and her parents were some of the people who first petitioned for a Spanishlanguage Mass in the early seventies. Her dad was as an altar server and her mom taught catechism classes on the weekend.

When they grew older, her sister was married and even baptized her kids there.

“I was crying and stuff, and my mom was, too,” Torres says of the moment they found out St. Adalbert would shutter its doors. “I said, well, OK, get that out of your system—cry, whatever—but then we need to formulate something that we need to start doing.”

Soon after the announcement, Torres and eight other parishioners created the St. Adalbert Preservation Society (SAPS), which incorporated two months later as a nonprofit and started fundraising.

Guided by Brody Hale, a lawyer from Massachusetts who started the Catholic Church Preservation Society, SAPS was

una organización sin fines de lucro. Blanca dice que Hale enseñó a los feligreses cómo alentar el proceso de cierre de sus iglesias y estrategias para preservarlas.

Los miembros de SAPS organizaron ferias en las calles y recolectaron dinero para reparar las torres. Incluso recibieron una donación de un millón de dólares de un antiguo feligrés anónimo.

El grupo también se embarcó en un proceso de apelación de varios años dentro de la Iglesia Católica, resistieron la decisión del arzobispo Cupich de cerrar San Adalberto y llevaron el caso hasta el Vaticano —aunque ese esfuerzo no detuvo la venta de la iglesia.

Al mismo tiempo, SAPS apoyó en noviembre de 2016 una propuesta de The Resurrection Project, una organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Pilsen que trabaja en el desarrollo comunitario y viviendas de bajo costo, que buscaba convertir la propiedad en un proyecto de uso mixto que incluía un espacio de oración, teatro y oficinas administrativas.

La lucha para salvar a la iglesia llamó la atención de Julie Sawicki. Mientras crecía, ella recuerda lo especial que era cuando alguien de la comunidad polaca organizaba una boda, una comunión o un bautismo en San Adalberto. able to navigate the process of becoming a non-profit. Blanca says Hale was able to teach parishioners how to slow the process of closing their churches and how to preserve their churches.

SAPS held street fairs and collected money to repair the towers. They even received a one million dollar donation from an anonymous former parishioner.

The group also embarked on the yearslong appeal process within the Catholic Church, challenging Archbishop Cupich’s decision to close St. Adalbert and bringing the case all the way to the Vatican—though that effort didn’t halt the sale of the church.

In the meantime, SAPS backed a November 2016 proposal by The Resurrection Project, a Pilsen-based nonprofit that works on community development and affordable housing, which would convert the complex into a mixed-use project including a worship space, theater and administrative offices.

The fight to save the church drew the attention of Julie Sawicki. Growing up, she remembers that when someone in the Polish community hosted a wedding, communion or baptism at St. Adalbert’s, JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 7

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En septiembre de 2013, los campanarios de la iglesia fueron evaluados para reparaciones y seguridad. Kellermeyer Godfryt Hart (KGH) recomendó reparar ambas torres, que estimó un costo de $3,496,000 y $778,000 para reparar toda la estructura de la iglesia.

In September 2013, the belltowers of the church were evaluated for repairs and safety. Kellermeyer Godfryt Hart (KGH) recommended repairing both towers, which it estimated would cost $3,496,000 and $778,000 for repairs to the whole church structure.

KELLERMEYER GODFRYT HART ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

“San Adalberto fue(...) la primera iglesia polaca que se construyó en los lados sur y suroeste de Chicago”, dice Sawicki, quien destaca la importancia del estilo de la gran catedral. “El hecho de que nuestros antepasados ​​pudieron lograr esta hazaña en un país extranjero fue algo muy especial para nosotros”.

Sawicki se unió a la Sociedad de Preservación de San Adalberto en enero de 2017, pero después de varios meses, decidió crear un grupo disidente cuando ella y otros miembros de la comunidad polaca tenían

una visión diferente para la iglesia: querían que la mayoría de la propiedad siguiera siendo un complejo religioso.

“Es por esto que nuestros antepasados se sacrificaron”, dice ella. “Ellos no vinieron a este país para hacer una vida mejor para ellos y sus familias y después sacrificarse, trabajar gratis y recaudar dinero, para que años más tarde esto se venda a un desarrollador para ganar dinero”.

Así que Sawicki creó la Sociedad de San Adalberto (SOSA, por sus siglas en inglés), y el grupo creó un plan para convertir el

convento detrás de la iglesia en un espacio de alojamiento con 40 habitaciones y desayuno incluído (llamado también bed and breakfast o B&B). Los ingresos obtenidos a través del B&B podrían ayudar a pagar el mantenimiento de la iglesia, dijo Sawicki, y ayudar a pagar los préstamos necesarios para reparar la iglesia.

Eventualmente, la propuesta que además tuvo el respaldo de SAPS fue rechazada por la Arquidiócesis. Ahora Torres y su grupo están preparando su propio plan, que se asemeja al de Sawicki pero que está abierto

a usar más espacios de la propiedad para generar ingresos. El grupo está considerando rentar el convento y la rectoría para albergar oficinas de organizaciones sin fines de lucro, tiendas emergentes y empresas locales, dice Torres.

Ward Miller, de Preservation Chicago (organización que defiende la arquitectura histórica y los barrios de la ciudad), propone una tercera ruta. “Deberíamos estar buscando que [San Adalberto] se designe como monumento histórico de Chicago, y usar algunos de los recursos del fondo ´adopta un

that was something special.

“St. Adalbert’s was… the first Polish church to be built on the South and Southwest Sides of Chicago,” she says, noting the importance of the grand cathedral style. “The fact that our ancestors were able to achieve this feat in a foreign country was something very special for us.”

Sawicki joined the St. Adalbert Preservation Society in January 2017, but after several months, decided to create a splinter group when she and several other members from the Polish community had

a different vision for the church—they wanted the majority of the property to remain a religious complex.

“That’s what our ancestors sacrificed for,” she says. “They didn’t come to this country to make a better life for themselves and their families and then sacrifice and work for free and raise money for, years later, for this to be sold to a developer to make money.”

So Sawicki created the Society of St. Adalbert’s, and the group created a plan to convert the convent behind the church

into a forty-room bed and breakfast. The B&B income could help pay for long-term upkeep of the church, Sawicki says, as well as help pay off the loans needed to repair the church.

Eventually, the plan backed by SAPS was rejected by the Archdiocese. Now, Torres and her group are preparing their own plan, which resembles Sawicki’s but is open to using more of the property to generate revenue. The group is considering leasing out the convent and the rectory to house office space for nonprofits, pop-up

shops and local startups, she says.

A third route is being proposed by Ward Miller from Preservation Chicago, an organization that advocates for Chicago’s historic architecture and neighborhoods.

“We should be looking at a Chicago landmark designation of the building, and using some of the city’s adopt a landmark funds to help preserve these buildings,” he says.

But, according to Masselli, “No viable plan has been presented to the Archdiocese during this period that would

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monumento´ para ayudar a preservar estos edificios”, dice Miller.

Pero, según Masselli, “no se ha presentado ningún plan viable a la Arquidiócesis durante este periodo que hubiera permitido la preservación de la propiedad y su funcionamiento continuo, en particular considerando la gran inversión que se necesita para reparar y estabilizar los edificios”.

Aunque no hizo comentarios sobre ninguna propuesta en particular, Masselli señala que “la parroquia y la Arquidiócesis han estado abiertos al proceso y han hablado directamente con muchos grupos interesados ​​ en la propiedad. Todas las propuestas potenciales serán, y han sido, consideradas”.

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an pasado aproximadamente tres años desde que se anunció por primera vez la consolidación de las iglesias de Pilsen, y San Adalberto sigue ofreciendo misa semanal en inglés y español, más una misa en polaco el primer domingo de cada mes.

Ha habido mucha incertidumbre a lo largo del camino. En el otoño de 2016, la iglesia estuvo brevemente bajo contrato para ser vendida a la Academia de Música have provided for the preservation of the property and its continued operation, particularly considering the significant investment required to repair and stabilize the buildings.”

Though she did not comment on any particular proposal, she says, “The parish and the Archdiocese have been very open about the process and have spoken directly to many groups interested in the property.

All potential proposals will be, and have been, considered.”

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t’s been about three years since the consolidation of Pilsen churches was first announced, and St. Adalbert’s is still offering weekly Mass in English and Spanish, plus a Mass in Polish on the first Sunday of every month.

There’s been a lot of uncertainty along the way. In fall 2016, the church was briefly under contract to be sold to the Chicago Academy of Music Conservatory, to become a concert hall and student housing.

The deal abruptly fell through the following year. At the time, Masselli told South Side Weekly that though “there were many aspects of Chicago Academy of Music’s

Tomó casi 150 años construir a San Adalberto en la comunidad que es hoy, y aproximadamente diez meses decidir cerrarla. de Chicago, para convertirse en una sala de conciertos y alojamiento para estudiantes. El trato fracasó abruptamente al año siguiente.

En ese momento, Masselli le dijo a South Side Weekly que aunque “había muchos aspectos del plan de la Academia de Música de Chicago que eran atractivos, el plan demostró finalmente que no era factible”.

A finales de abril de 2019, se corrió la voz de que había un nuevo comprador serio para la iglesia. El Padre Enright dijo a los feligreses que tendrán que prepararse para los cambios, porque para septiembre de 2019, después de más de un siglo, la iglesia podría pertenecer a otra entidad. Labriola y Cawthon, los corredores de la propiedad, negaron que hubiera un comprador y dijeron que la iglesia todavía estaba en el mercado.

La familia de Torres ha estado en San Adalberto por dos generaciones, la de Jakubowski por tres y la de Olszewski por

cuatro. Hay cientos de personas como ellos que, motivados por su fe, han dedicado su tiempo y trabajo para hacer de San Adalberto lo que es hoy.

“No quiero decir que ya no voy a ser católica(...) pero al mismo tiempo, la jerarquía no nos facilita mantener nuestra fe y creo que eso es una pena”, dice Torres, reflexionando sobre su experiencia en la lucha por su iglesia.

Aunque el edificio esté abierto o no, los feligreses dicen que la iglesia que recuerdan ya se cerró. Bodas, quinceañeras u otros eventos importantes ya no se celebran en San Adalberto. Según empleados de San Pablo, feligreses no pueden organizar eventos con meses de anticipación porque no saben si la iglesia será vendida para entonces.

Ocasionalmente hay funerales, porque toma pocos días el planearlos.

María Elida “Eli” Sánchez comenzó a ir

It took nearly 150 years to build St. Adalbert into the community it is today, and about ten months to decide to close it. plan that were attractive, the plan proved ultimately not to be feasible.”

In late April 2019, word quickly spread that there was a new, serious buyer for the church. Father Enright told a few parishioners to start preparing for changes because by September 2019, after more than a century, the church might belong to someone else. Labriola and Cawthon, the brokers for the property, denied that any buyer was in place, and said that the church was still on the market.

Torres’ family has been at St. Adalbert’s for two generations, Jakubowski’s for three, and Olszewski’s for four. There are hundreds of people like them who, driven by their faith, have devoted their time and labor to make St. Adalbert’s what it is today.

“I don't want to say that I'm not going

to be a Catholic anymore...but at the same time the hierarchy is not making it easy for us to maintain our faith and I just think that's a shame,” says Torres, reflecting on her experience fighting for her church.

Whether the building is open or not, parishioners say the church they remember has already closed. Weddings, quinceañeras, and other important events don’t take place at the church anymore. According to staff at St. Paul, they can't plan events months in advance because they don't know if the church will be sold by then. Occasionally, funerals still occur at St. Adalbert because they only require a few days to plan.

Maria Elida “Eli” Sanchez, started coming to St. Adalbert after another Pilsen church, St. Vitus, was closed in 1990.

She remembers the day she was barred

a San Adalberto después de que otra iglesia de Pilsen, San Vito, cerró en 1990. Ella recuerda el día en que se le prohibió celebrar el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, un día de celebración importante para católicos mexicanos que honran a la Virgen María.

“Lo más triste fue el dia 12 de diciembre que no nos dejaron cantarle a las 5 de la mañana en la iglesia,” dice Sánchez.

“Vinimos a todos los rosarios, que son nueve.

Y el día de las mañanitas no nos dejaron estar en la iglesia(…). Bajo sus órdenes [del padre Enright] estamos — y si él dice que no, es no, y si él dice que sí, entonces es sí.”

Cuando murió la madre de Jakubowski, ella tuvo que rogar para tener el funeral en San Adalberto. Su madre participó en la lucha para salvar la iglesia cuando la Arquidiócesis trató de cerrarla en 1974, dice Jakubowski, y hasta sus últimos momentos, rezó para que permaneciera abierta.

Torres y otros feligreses también describen que se les prohíbe hacer reparaciones en la iglesia.

“Querían reparar algunos problemas en la rectoría, y sí, algunas veces [el Padre Enright] nos permitió reparar cosas urgentes, pero no nos ha permitido hacer otras reparaciones porque se va a vender,” dice Torres.

Romper los lazos que las personas tienen from celebrating el Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe, an important day of celebration for Mexican Catholics who honor the Virgin Mary.

“The saddest was on December 12 when they didn’t let us sing at 5 a.m. at the church,” says Sanchez. “We came to the nine rosaries and the day of the mañanitas they didn’t let us be in the church...It was Father Mike who didn’t let us. It was under his orders and if he says no, it’s no. If he says yes, then it’s a yes.”

When Jakubowski’s mother passed away she says she had to beg to have her funeral at St. Adalbert. Her mother was involved in helping to save the church from being closed in 1974, Jakubowski says, and up until her last moments, prayed for it to remain open.

Torres and other parishioners also describe being prohibited from making church repairs.

“They wanted to repair some issues in the rectory, and yes sometimes [Father Enright] allowed us to repair dire things, but hasn’t allowed us to make other repairs because it’s going to get sold,” Torres says.

Severing the ties people have to JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9

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con la iglesia los aliena de su comunidad y, sin la comunidad, es más fácil justificar el cierre de la iglesia, dicen los feligreses.

“Cupich dice que estos edificios se pueden acabar, que necesitamos concentrarnos en la gente”, agrega Torres.

“Yo me estoy concentrando en mantener a mi comunidad de fieles juntos y si pudiéramos hacerlo en nuestra iglesia sería increíble.

Cuando veo San Adalberto, veo la belleza de la iglesia, pero también veo la belleza de mi propia comunidad allí reflejada”.

Para quienes temen que sus propias iglesias puedan ir por el mismo camino, Torres dice que “necesitamos trabajar juntos para asegurarnos de que no haya más daño a los individuos, y que trabajemos para hacer que los feligreses —la comunidad de fieles, la gente real— sean la parte más importantes de la Iglesia Católica”.

the church alienates them from their community, and without the community it becomes easier to justify the church’s closing, parishioners say.

“Cupich says these buildings can be done away with, that we need to concentrate on people,” says Torres. “I’m concentrating on keeping my community of faithful together as well, and if we could do it in our church it would be so awesome.

When I see St. Adalbert, I see the beauty of the church but I see the beauty of my own community reflected back in there.”

For those who fear their own churches may be headed down the same road, Torres says, “We need to be working together to make certain that no harm comes to any individuals anymore, and that we work to make the parishioners—the community of faithful, the actual people—the most important part of the Catholic Church."

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lemente Murillo has been a part of the St. Adalbert parishioner community since he was five. Now at twenty-seven, he volunteers every Sunday at the church selling candles, saint cards and prayer books in the lobby. He’s behind the counter during the 2019 Via Crucis, a massive performance and procession that takes place each Easter. (See photo essay.)

He likes when Mass is full on days of celebration like this one, though he wishes he saw more of these faces every Sunday.

“But of course, with the whole talking of closing...I mean with anything, whether it's a church or anything, [if ] it's closing, 10 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

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lemente Murillo ha sido parte de la comunidad de feligreses de San Adalberto desde que tenía cinco años. Ahora a los 27 años, se ofrece como voluntario todos los domingos en la iglesia vendiendo velas, tarjetas de santos y libros de oraciones en el vestíbulo. Durante el Vía Crucis de 2019 (ve ensayo fotográfico), una gran procesión que se celebra cada Pascua, Murillo está detrás del mostrador. A él le gusta cuando la misa está llena en días de celebración como éste, aunque le gustaría ver más a estos rostros todos los domingos.

“Pero, por supuesto, con todo lo que se habla de cerrar(...) como con cualquier cosa, que sea una iglesia o no, [si] se está cerrando, no te motiva a venir, porque estás pensando ‘para qué voy, ¿qué gano con eso?’”, dice Murillo.

Los argumentos alrededor de las dificultades financieras que se enfrentan

para mantener abiertas las iglesias de Pilsen, que además necesitan costosas reparaciones, tienen sentido para Murillo.

Pero aún así considera frustrante escuchar las conversaciones sobre el cierre de la iglesia de su infancia.

“Es una mezcla de emociones. Estás triste, enojado, inseguro, por supuesto, de todo lo demás. Pero al final sólo vienes, ayudas porque si aún está abierta, todavía necesitas venir y ayudar”, explica Murillo.

Murillo bromea que ya está predispuesto y que de todas las iglesias en Pilsen, San Adalberto es la más hermosa. Ya con seriedad, Murillo resalta que desde casi cualquier lugar en Pilsen se pueden ver las icónicas torres de la iglesia. Él la considera un monumento histórico.

Cuando se le pregunta qué hará si se cierra la parroquia, él dice que probablemente encontrará otra parroquia más cercana a

donde vive en La Villita. Pero entiende que si se cierra San Adalberto, ese sería el final del camino para algunos feligreses.

“Realmente es como si estuvieran cerrando tu propia casa”, dice Murillo. “Yo personalmente, sé que todavía podría ir a cualquier otro lugar, pero esto es lo que conozco. He ido a otras parroquias, son hermosas y todo, pero nunca se siente como a la que siempre has ido”. ¬

it doesn’t motivate you to come, because you're thinking, ‘why am I going, there's nothing that's going to be gained from it,’” Murillo says.

The arguments about the financial hardships of keeping open Pilsen churches that have high-priced repair make sense to Murillo, but it can still be frustrating to hear talks of closing his childhood church.

“It's a mix of emotions. You’re sad, angry, uncertain of course of everything else. But at the end you just come, you help because if it's still open, you still need to come and help,” Murillo explains.

Murillo jokes that he is biased, and believes that of all the churches in Pilsen, St. Adalbert is the nicest one. More seriously, he notes that from most places in Pilsen, you can see the church’s iconic towers. He calls it a landmark.

When asked what he’ll do if the parish closes, he says he’ll probably just find another parish closer to where he lives in Little Village. But he understands why it would be the end of the road for some parishioners if St. Adalbert closes.

“It’s really like they’re closing your own home,” says Murillo. “Me personally, I know I could still go anywhere else, but this is what I know. I've gone to other parishes, they’re beautiful and everything, but it never feels like the one that you go to.” ¬

To hear a radio version of parts of this reporting, visit southsideweekly.com/sswradio or subscribe to SSW Radio wherever you

get your podcasts.

This report was produced by City Bureau, a civic journalism lab based in Woodlawn. To learn more and get involved, go to www. citybureau.org.

Este artículo fue producido por City Bureau, un laboratorio de periodismo cívico en el barrio de Woodlawn, en Chicago. Para más información y participar, visite www.citybureau.org Para escuchar la versión de radio de este reportaje, visite southsideweekly.com/ssw-radio o suscríbase a SSW Radio en su aplicación de podcasts favorita.

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Churches of Pilsen

Illustrating the close ties of the neighborhood’s Catholic communities TEXT BY IRENE ROMULO AND MALIK ALIM/CITY BUREAU. ILLUSTRATIONS BY IRENE ROMULO/CITY BUREAU.

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atholic churches in Pilsen have played vital roles in Pilsen’s immigrant communities.

Since their founding, they have served as places of worship and at various times have provided important social services—like housing, violence prevention, food pantries and counseling—to neighborhood residents.

Given their proximity to each other, it’s not uncommon for Pilsen residents to have ties with multiple parishes. For people who aren’t connected to the church, or have a personal relationship with the buildings, it’s easy to confuse St. Vitus for St. Pius V, Providence of God for St. Procopious.

“Our family has been going to St. Pius church my entire life. Growing up that’s the place where we would go for Sunday Mass but we would also do some our holy sacraments at St. Paul,” says Veronica Castro, thirty-eight, lifelong Pilsen resident. “I went to Catholic grammar school at St. Stephen’s, that’s now Cristo Rey. Then my siblings, a couple of them,

ended up going to St. Ann. So basically we kind of have connections to most of the Catholic churches in the area. I think that’s a little bit of a norm.”

In 2016, the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago announced its plan to consolidate six Pilsen parishes into three. Since then, St. Ann has been sold, Providence of God merged with St. Procopious and St. Adalbert is still fighting to remain open. The Archdiocese cited demographic changes in Pilsen, which has led to declining attendance, amongst the reasons for the consolidation. But even as families are displaced from their longtime neighborhoods, they still seek the tight social bonds that the church has traditionally offered.

“People try to stay in community, though,” says Castro. “You see a lot of folks who leave the neighborhood and still come back to eat at the local restaurant and come back to go to church on Sundays. But it’s becoming harder and harder to hold on to that. We’re seeing a real change in who is here, for sure.” ¬

St. Adalbert • Parish founded by Polish immigrants in 1874 • Interior modeled after “Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls” in Rome. St. Adalbert’s 185-foot twin towers are the tallest structures in Pilsen • Slated for closure in 2016, a deal to sell the church to Chicago Academy of Music Conservatory fell through in 2017 amid an appeal to the Vatican’s highest court • The Archdiocese decided to combine the St. Adalbert parish with St. Paul’s, so now financial decisions for the former are made by a financial committee housed in the latter • The church has been on the market since September of 2018 through SVN Chicago Commercial • Mass is held in Polish on the first Sunday of the month at 8 a.m. There is an English Mass every Sunday at 10 a.m. and Spanish Mass every Sunday at 12 p.m.

St. Ann • Parish founded in 1903 to serve Polish immigrants who settled west of St. Adalbert • A parochial school started classes the same year and boasted an enrollment of nearly 1,500 students within twenty years • Slated for closure in 2016, the parish was merged with St. Paul • Final Mass was held in summer of 2018, though the school remains operational • St. Ann’s was sold to residential developer Evenlight Leavitt for $1.4 million in 2019

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Providence of God • Parish founded in 1900 for Lithuanian-speaking Catholics, the second of its kind in Chicago • Began serving Mexican parishioners in the early 1960s • Site of one of the largest Via Crucis processions in Chicago every Easter • Satellite location for St. Procopius • Regular Masses are no longer held in the church but parishioners can request to host their weddings or quinceañeras here

St. Pius V • The Jesuits founded St. Pius in 1874 to serve Irish immigrants • St. Pius V School was the first Catholic school accredited by Chicago Public schools • In 1963, St. Pius became the first church in Pilsen to offer Mass in Spanish and has since continued to offer services—such as immigration consultations and a counseling program—for the Spanish-speaking community in Pilsen • After the 2016 reconfiguration, St. Pius remains an active parish • Masses are held every Sunday at 7:45 and 11:15 a.m. in English and in Spanish at 9:15 a.m., 1:15, 4:30, and 6:30 p.m.

St. Procopius • The parish and its school were established in 1876, and within five years ground was broken for a new church to accommodate the rapidly growing membership • A Benedectine ministry made up- the St. Procopius community for most of the 20th century, and it created St. Procopius College Academy (now Benedictine University in Lisle) and the Bohemian Benedictine Press • Massive renovations of the school, church and convent were completed in the mid 20th century. In 1992, the Jesuit order took over the parish with the intent of establishing an educational mission to meet the needs of the multilingual community in Pilsen.

• In 2016, the Jesuits ended their pastoral ministry at St. Procopius and the parish returned to being an Archdiocesan church. At this time the parish also absorbed the membership of Providence of God. • Bilingual Mass is held every Sunday at 7:45, Spanish Masses at 9:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. and English Masses at 11 a.m.

St. Paul • The parish was founded by German families in 1876 • The first Gothic-style church built in the United States, it is described by the parish website as “the church built without a nail” • The interior of the church is embellished with marble and mosaic art • St. Paul’s parish now includes the former membership of St. Ann’s as a result of Pilsen’s 2016 church reconfiguration, and has been receiving worshippers from St. Adalbert as well.

• Masses are held every Sunday at 8 a.m. and noon in Spanish and at 10 a.m. in English ¬

12 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

This story was produced by City Bureau, a civic journalism lab based in Woodlawn. Learn more and get involved at www.citybureau.org

PHOTO ESSAY

Tradition amid change Participants in Pilsen’s Via Crucis procession assemble inside Providence of God Catholic Church for a group photo before the start of the procession.

Pilsen’s Via Crucis, involving all the neighborhood’s Catholic churches, is one of Chicago’s largest.

PHOTOS BY MAX HERMAN TEXT BY JUANPABLO RAMIREZ-FRANCO PRODUCED BY CITY BUREAU

E

very year, on Good Friday—the Friday before Easter—crowds of hundreds gather on 18th Street in Pilsen to watch the Via Crucis procession, a live reenactment of the fourteen stations of the cross and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Altogether, the production is a solid ten hours of action for the eleven organizers and more than seventy actors. The reenactment begins with actor parishioners gathered on a stage to play out the Last Supper in the basement of Providence of God. Jesus is “crucified” at Harrison Park, where he and two thieves are rigged up to tall wooden crosses in front of a crowd gathered as far back as the basketball courts. The procession finishes inside at St. Adalbert, a nearly 100-year-old church that is slated for closing, where Mass is given to end the event.

The actual procession represents just a fraction of the time and energy that goes into the entire production. A union of parishioners affiliated with the various Catholic churches in Pilsen begin hosting monthly meetings to outline the next Via Crucis almost as soon as the last Via Crucis has passed. Rehearsals for the actors begin a full month before the big event.

Although the Archdiocese has scaled back its presence in the neighborhood, the size and tenor of the Via Crucis is a testament to the vibrant Catholic community that remains in Pilsen.

JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 13

PHOTO ESSAY

David Orozco, right, assists a friend with his soldier costume in preparation in the minutes before all the actors file downstairs to reenact the Last Supper.

In the first station of the cross, Jesus is condemned to death. A young parishioner playing an angel speaks her lines to a crowded basement before the whole procession moves outside to 18th Street.

14 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

PHOTO ESSAY

“Mi papel, me toca representar a Cristo. [Siento] tranquilo. Es una gran bendición para mí,” said Miguel Reyes, the Providence of God parishioner playing Jesus for the 2019 Via Crucis. “Tenemos practicando como dos meses más o menos. Es un papel muy difícil porque para poder representar a alguien, al hijo de la divinidad, es un poquito muy— pero Dios es muy grande y sabe el propósito de cada uno. Entonces estamos aquí y adelante.” The procession enters Harrison Park on 18th Street for the tenth station of the cross.

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JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15

PHOTO ESSAY

Participants in the Via Crucis procession watch the re-enactment of the Last Supper at Providence of God Church.

“We are in the middle of the process of remembering the way of the journey of Christ from the gospels of the Bible,” explained Father Brendan Curran from the sidelines of the procession. “He falls a few times, [and there’s] different scripture moments where different people visit him along the way. Shortly you will see Simon who comes to help him. People reenact it as a way of a pilgrimage, a journey of reflection and experience of faith.”

16 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

PHOTO ESSAY

People gather in Harrison Park awaiting the re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion as part of the Via Crucis procession.

All along the procession, Pilsen residents and Chicagoans from other parts of the city set up shop on the street, selling crosses and crucifixes. This stand sits across Harrison Park during the crucifixion. ¬

This story was produced by City Bureau, a civic journalism lab based in Woodlawn. Learn more and get involved at www.citybureau.org JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 17

ESSAY CONTEST

2019 Student Essay Contest

Last month, Rachel Kim, our outgoing education editor, had the idea for the South Side Weekly to hold a student essay contest this summer. The theme for the contest was topical: as Lori Lightfoot was to be sworn in as mayor, we wanted to hear from middle and high school students from around the South Side what they wanted Mayor Lightfoot “to know and understand about [their] neighborhood,” and the “stories and memories about the people and places in [their] community” that “best exemplify the future of Chicago [they] want to see.”

We received over twenty-five submissions from all over the South Side. It was difficult to narrow them down. There were so many beautiful, thoughtful essays, each offering a different view of their South Side community and what they thought was the most important thing to tell Chicago’s new mayor. In the end, we chose these three essays to print in this issue.

Where We’re From

BY CHRISTOPHER WATSON

Dear Mayor Lightfoot,

E

ver since his debut, I’ve been a huge fan of Chance The Rapper. Little did I know that Chance was going to be the bridge between me and Chicago. Before I tuned in to Chance, I just wanted to move out and never come back due to the violence and the direction this city was going in. He taught me that where you’re from means everything. Chance once said, “I speak of promised lands, Soil as soft as mama’s hands, Running water, standing still, Endless fields of daffodils and chamomile.”

That statement is what I now see for Chicago.

Chance taught me that possibilities are the key to life and if you don’t have any, you aren’t living life. My mom and I used to live on 79th and Yates. When I was living in this neighborhood, the only motto that everyone lived by was “make money and stay alive.” That was a lifestyle that everyone had to become accustomed to. Then the motto became “don't get arrested, because the police will kill you.” As a child, I barely went to sleep at night.

I often debated, “Is taking out the garbage, equivalent to losing my only life?” As everyone in our home looked at me with confusion, I would just look at police cars rotating around our block at night. Police cars instilled nothing but fear in me of the thought of being gone from everyone and everything that I love. One day, my mom sat me down and told me it was nothing I would ever have to worry about and that I can go play outside and be a normal child.

I remember the first day that I went outside to play with friends. That day was actually way more memorable than I could’ve imagined. That day was more than just my first day going outside to “play;” that day was the beginning of an automatic countdown that I couldn’t control, of losing friends to either violence or 18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

the mass incarceration rate of our race. I had plenty of friends who have died at the hands of the streets of Chicago. I feel as though every time a death occurs, it becomes nothing but a sign of publicity and moment for “griefing.” After witnessing friends lose their lives, instead of it being treated as a memorial, it is treated with an insane amount of publicity that shouldn’t be spread. We become a cycle of placing loved ones on T-shirts and turning them into hashtags.

Chicago has a bad connotation. People from all over the country look at us in either two ways. They either look at us as a city full of possibility and great food, which makes us nothing but a tourist attraction, or as a city where it's nothing but danger and you should only go there to prepare for your funeral. Nobody understands the truth about us Chicagoans, and I feel like that is something that you can portray to the rest of our country, or even the world. The world needs to understand that Chicagoans are the future of the world.

Chicago is full of nothing but productive members of society at large that go through triumphs in their own way that will motivate them to be stronger and better.

Mayor Lightfoot, I knew ever since I first watched you on ‘The Fran Spielman Show’ that you were the person that was going to be able to make change. Ever since I was a child, I knew that there was a change to be made. I feel like you, Mayor Lightfoot, can make that change for Chicago. You have the power to stop young children from fearing the police. I know that you can change Chicago for the better. Thank You. Sincerely, MC Christopher Watson is an upcoming artist on the South Side of Chicago that goes by ChrisTheMc. He attends Butler College Prep and is an author and poet. He is one of the three winners of the South Side Weekly 2019 Student Essay Contest. This is his first contribution to the Weekly.

KEELEY PARENTEAU

ESSAY CONTEST

Windy City: The City with Less Air to Breathe

BY KARLA SANTIAGO

Dear Mayor Lightfoot,

L

ife is like a marathon. We keep on running towards our goals in order to achieve a better future for our children. We run in order to live the American dream. You demonstrated how we run towards our goals by running for the Mayor of Chicago, and you were able to win that race. You are one step closer to shaping social justice and equality, expanding and investing education, reforming police departments, and defending immigrants.

As a person that lives in the South Side of Chicago, I would like you to know about the things that occur in the South Side.

The South Side flourishes despite how dangerous people think it is. Some locations on the South Side are beautiful: there are children playing outside, families are having a cookout, and they’re together and enjoying life. The houses are similar in size and colors, but these families don’t mind as long as they have a place to live.

Other parts of the South Side, however, are dirty and surrounded by smoke. There’s trash on the ground where children are supposed to play. Mothers don’t allow their children to play outside unless it’s in their yard to prevent their child from stepping on glass from a bottle thrown the night before.

When my family bought a plane ticket from Mexico to Chicago, my grandmother visited us,and we took a stroll around the city. It was peaceful, but it seemed like time stopped once I saw blood coming out of her foot. She had stepped on a piece of glass and it went through her flip-flop.

Pollution and the way we treat the

city is hazardous for us. We are leading our city to an uninhabitable place where our children won’t prosper. We treat our city as if we can easily find a different one. Yes, there are other, bigger cities we can move to, but what will happen there? Would our new city become as uninhabitable as our previous loved home?

Our city was already given a higher rank on the “State of the Air” report by the American Lung Association. In 2018, it was ranked 22nd in the list of most ozonepolluted cities. In 2019, its rank went up by four. We need to dismantle the root causes of pollution to prevent the city from taking a short cut towards its own end. The carbon in our sky affects humans, animals, and plants.

The race towards our end is getting closer. We need to slow down and breathe.

My neighborhood has many children and many of them are still developing. Their lungs breathe in and out quicker than us because they’re constantly running outside.

There’s also a population of older residents, and they struggle to leave their house because their small brittle bones ache when they move. I envision a Chicago with fewer children developing asthma, and where there is a reduced risk of developmental and reproductive harm.

Cutting less trees will help us have cleaner air, recycling will make landfills smaller, and having more green areas such as parks helps residents have a place to be without worrying about trash. Families will be able to live an active life in areas in which they feel safe and therefore live a life in harmony and have better health.

We also need to use more solar panels

KEELEY PARENTEAU

i to obtain solar energy without using fossil fuels. We can use more hydroelectric energy and use fewer coal-fired factories and vehicles. Improving environmental conditions by planting trees and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air will help reduce pollution and improve the health of people that live in Chicago.

We need to build a greener Chicago—a windy city with cleaner air, a city with more oxygen for us to breathe in.

I envision a Chicago with fewer illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

I envision a Chicago with citizens with a lower risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and diseases such as emphysema.

I envision a Chicago with more children outside and more families living a longer life.

This is Chicago.

Karla Santiago is writer from Chicago, Illinois. She is an oversensitive person that tends to write rather than speak her emotions.

Her interests include: going on small dates in a cafe, hanging out with her friends, and visiting art museums. She’s the new vice president in John Hancock High School’s student council.

She is one of the three winners of the South Side Weekly 2019 Student Essay Contest. This is her first contribution to the Weekly.

JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 19

ESSAY CONTEST

Chicago’s “Crooked Smile”

BY KEANNA FIGUEROA

KEELEY PARENTEAU

“Hey officer man, we don't want nobody getting killed Just open up that cell, let my brother out of jail I got money for the bail now, well now” ­ – J. Cole Dear Mayor Lightfoot,

W

hen I was a young girl, there was a shooting on my street while a block party was happening. I ran into my house, looking for a way out.

I saw my dad stay in front to make sure everyone was okay. The police, helicopters, and ambulance lights seemed louder than the bullets shot that night.

But what I also remember as a girl is going to church and eating Takis in the front of my house while watching my dogs. I never knew that the shootings on my block would “define” my community. And if I'm being 20 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019

honest, that doesn't define my community at all. I go outside and play with my friends outside. I have a class where we talk about advanced political issues, so believe me when I say we are not the “dangerous” ones in Chicago. In my community, I have people who show love and care. What defines my community is friends, family, and pride.

One day, my family was looking at houses in Oak Lawn. We were viewing a house and the owner told us, “One block away there is the mayor, and the police chief is the neighbor, and this house is next to former military members.” It was a beautiful neighborhood and had a lot of spirit, just like mine. After we left the house, my mom said, “If we move over here, you can’t bring your ghetto.” That comment made me extremely angry. The definition of ghetto is “a part of a city, especially a slum area, occupied by a minority group or groups.” My people in

my neighborhood should not be treated like worthless pennies in a piggy bank called the South Side. We are the stars that shine when you can’t see the pathway. We deserve so much from the system. It's come to a point where those in power make us forget our own worth. We are not ghetto—we are the uprising. We are the change in history.

What you have to understand about me is that I will never beat the same drum as everyone else. As a South Side girl, I've seen things happen in my community that no average North Side person can compare to. That's the problem in Chicago: the difference between what we get and what we deserve.

I went to my cousin’s classroom on the North Side once. That was like walking into a new part of Chicago that I never knew existed before. Comparatively, on the South Side, it looks like we learn and live in a janitor's closet. As our mayor, I think it’s time for you to change that. Make schools equal. We ask for good quality books, bigger classrooms, better supplies, and so much more. My class is small, and my own teacher pays for her own supplies. Why? Because we don't get the same amount of resources that privileged people get. The problem isn't only our schools, it is also how the system works in Chicago. I'm tuckered out seeing these differences in our city.

My class realizes how we are treated differently and we notice how Chicago is segregated. It’s a color line in Chicago. We are taught to stay reticent, and it's quite draining at times. As a twelve-year-old

girl still learning about and experiencing the world, I find it helpful to write about this, to show my value and power through my writing. I see myself making peace by persuading.

Rahm Emanuel, our former mayor, has degraded South and West Side people for something that isn't our fault. The safety hazards are not our fault. Instead, it's like Chicago's political system is getting an F on a test they should have studied for. My question is, will you get an A on the test that has been failed for decades?

If we live in a city where shootings and kidnappings of women are more “normal” than teenagers graduating, what does that tell you about the change we need in Chicago? By the end of the time you are mayor, will my little cousins be able to play outside without getting shot?That's up to you. If you want to succeed, listen to our voices and realize our worth because that's something that our last mayor couldn't do.

Instead of the system playing us, let the kids play. Let the future population of Chicago continue to grow and be proud of what they've created themselves. Keanna Figueroa lives in Gage Park and is a sixth grader at Sawyer Elementary School. She has a wonderful teacher named Ms. Gluckman here and a soon-to-be teacher named Ms. Taylor. This is her second contribution to the Weekly.

EVENTS

BULLETIN Story Club South Side 6th Anniversary Celebration Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219-21 S Morgan St. Friday, June 21. Meet at 6:30pm, storytelling begins in Palmisano Park at 7pm, after-party 9:30pm. bit.ly/SouthSideStoryClub

Chicago Black Entrepreneurs Festival House of Hope, 752 E. 114th St. Saturday, June 29, 11am–8pm. Free–$10,000. bit.ly/ ChiBlackEntrepreneur

Since 2013, Story Club South Side has been combining curated performers and open mic artists in a live monthly nonfiction lit show. Now, as the series goes on hiatus for the summer while looking for a new home, Story Club celebrates its sixth anniversary with a parade to Palmisano Park, the all-female/nonbinary band Clamor and Lace Noise Brigade, sparklers, and—of course—open mic storytelling. ( Jim Daley)

Empower. Network. Build. Support.

Encourage. BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES! The Chicago Black Entrepreneurs Festival is an event whose stated goal is to “confidently demonstrate” that the Black Dollar can stay within the Black community longer than six hours, a number supported by current statistics.

The event brings together aspiring entrepreneurs, Black businesses and the “communities they touch” with over 200 vendors, live entertainment, motivational speakers, workshops and community resources. (AV Benford)

Chicago Reader Pride Block Party

TRQPITECA Queer Pride at Ping Tom

Marz Community Brewing, 3630 S. Iron St. Saturday, June 23, 1pm–9pm. Kids under 10 free, $10 donation. Tickets at bit.ly/ChicagoReaderPride

Ping Tom Memorial Park, 1700 S. Wentworth Ave. Sunday, June 30, 3pm– 10pm. bit.ly/TRQPITECA

Join the Chicago Reader (yes, we are advertising another weekly) as they host a celebration for Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community. In partnership with Marz Community Brewing, there will be various artists, communities, small businesses, and programming dedicated to celebrating those currently working for or within the LGBTQ+ community and paying homage to historical icons and community members. (Roderick Sawyer)

Pride South Side Multiple locations, Friday, June 28–Sunday, June 30. Mostly free; RSVP required for some events. www.pridesouthside.com Celebrate Pride on the South Side with eight events across three days and five communities. The celebration kicks off with ALEGRA Noire at Gallery Guichard on Friday, continues with daytime Pride Fest at the DuSable Museum on Saturday, parties through the night at the Promontory and other locations, and winds down—or turns up—Sunday evening with Beachnic at South Shore Cultural Center Park. ( Jim Daley)

attracting more than 40,000 fans each year and popularly called the Woodstock of House Music. (AV Benford)

ranging from the smooth chords of jazz to upbeat contemporary folk will be played until the sun goes down. (Atavia Reed)

VISUAL ARTS

The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash Festival

Book Release Party for avery r. young's neckbone: visual verses

Douglas Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr. Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, June 30. 12 pm.

All ages. $149+tax. Purchase tickets online at bit.ly/SummerSmashFestival

Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St., Performance Hall. Wednesday, June 19, 7pm–10pm. bit.ly/NeckboneVisualVerses Swing by for a book release party for avery r. young's neckbone: visual verses. young’s book explores poetry, literature, art, and activism and seeks to engage and challenge readers to see beyond the traditional spaces poems are shaped in. (Roderick Sawyer)

Bronzeville Art District Trolley Tour 2019 Little Black Pearl, 1060 E. 47th St. Friday, June 21; Friday, July 19; Friday, August 16; Friday, September 20. All 6pm–9pm. Free, RSVP at bit.ly/BronzevilleTrolley

This free, all-ages, wheelchair accessible event strives to explore alternatives to mainstream ideas of Pride, and includes art installations, live music, performances, and DJs as part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks. TRQPITECA Queer Pride also seeks to broaden access to health care and wellness resources in queer and ally communities on Chicago’s South Side. ( Jim Daley)

Experience Bronzeville firsthand on this trolley tour of the neighborhood. Explore historical buildings, art galleries, and exhibitions, and enjoy music, food, and making new friends. (Roderick Sawyer)

Chosen Few DJ’s Family Picnic and Festival

Join Monarch Art and Wellness at the Hyde Park Art Center for their first annual fair celebrating women, femme, and gender non-binary artists, healers, and small businesses in Chicago. The fair will feature over 30 local vendors, public programs based on physical, mental, spiritual, and sexual wellness, and so much more.

(Roderick Sawyer)

Jackson Park, 63rd Street at Hayes Dr. Saturday, July 6. Tickets start at $40 Online; $50 at the Gate. VIP and tent packages available. chosenfewdjs.com/ Founded by Wayne Williams in 1977, the Chosen Few Disco Corp., a group of popular DJs from Chicago’s South Side – Williams, Jesse Saunders, Tony Hatchett, Alan King and Andre Hatchett – were part of the first wave of DJs and producers in Chicago who created the sound that became known as House Music. They later named themselves the Chosen Few DJs. What started as a small gathering of friends behind Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry in 1990 is now one of the world’s longest-running House music events,

Monarch Art and Wellness Fair Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Saturday, June 22, 10am–5pm; Sunday June 23, 12pm–5pm. bit.ly/MonarchFair

MUSIC

Fans of Hip-Hop are in for a treat. Playboi Carti and Juice Wrld are only two of the many popular rap artists planning to take Chicago by storm for this two-day festival.

(Atavia Reed)

Side by Side with the Chicago Philharmonic Ping Tom Memorial Park, 1700 S. Wentworth Ave. Saturday, June 29, 3pm-7pm. No tickets required. bit.ly/ ChicagoPhilharmonic Presented by the Chicago Park District’s “Night Out in the Parks,” this free and family-friendly, live experience will give community members the opportunity to bring their own instruments and collaborate with Chicago Philharmonic guest conductor, Kellen Lenard Gray. Stop by early to watch musicians rehearse before the concert begins. (Atavia Reed)

Pride in the Park Chicago Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St. Saturday, June 29, 2pm. GA tickets all ages, VIP tickets 21+ only. $55+tax. bit.ly/PrideInTheParkFest In honor of the 50th pride parade, Dreambrite along with charity partners including Center on Halsted and Howard Brown Health, present a star studded concert and fireworks display. Headlining musical artists are Iggy Azalea and Steve Aoki with featured guests artists and hosts to include: Tamar Braxton, Taylor Dane, Kathy Sledge, Mimi Marks and more, all live at Grant Park. (Atavia Reed)

Live Music Mondays at the Beverly Arts Center

Curtis Mayfield Tribute

Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Mondays, 7pm-9pm, through August 12. $5 suggested donation. bit.ly/BevMusicMondays

Whitney Young Branch Library, 415 E. 79th St. Saturday, June 29. 1pm–4pm. Free. (773) 783-7961.

Stop by the Beverly Arts Center every Monday for some summer fun. Live music

Every month, the Whitney Young Library branch sees an event dedicated to a Chicago artist born that month. This JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 21

EVENTS

June, to celebrate what would have been his seventy-seventh birthday on June 3, there will be a tribute to Curtis Mayfield.

Light refreshments and cake will be served.

(Adam Przybyl)

Performing Arts Summer Camp

STAGE & SCREEN

Looking for creative summer fun for the youth in your world? Registration is now open for a six-week intensive summer camp for ages ten through seventeen, presented

by B.Fli Productions at eta Creative Arts Foundation. Breakfast, lunch, and field trips are all included. Classes offered include dance, vocal performance, hip hop communication, and comedic improv.

Register today! (Nicole Bond)

Movies in the Park Museum of Science and Industry, Front Lawn, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive. Wednesday, June 19, Activities begin 5:30pm, film begins at dusk, around 8:30pm. Free. (773) 6841414. www.msichicago.org June 19 is the Museum’s birthday! All are invited to celebrate with a screening of the movie <i>Back to the Future Part II</i>, plus a slice of birthday cake complements of Fabiana’s Bakery, while supplies last.

There will be free activities for the early birds including a chance to take a photo in a real DeLorean Time Machine. (Nicole Bond)

In the Heat of the Night: Summer Classic Film Series Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave. Saturday, June 22. 5pm. Free. Visit rebuild-foundation.org to RSVP. Ever wonder where the classic movie line <i>They Call Me Mr. Tibbs</i> originated?

Here’s your chance to see Sydney Poitier play the iconic Virgil Tibbs heating up the night in this classic film, as part of the Stony Island Arts Bank’s new “American Pride American Prejudice” series. (Nicole Bond)

Do the Right Thing Block Party Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave. Sunday, June 30. Bring your own vinyl noon–6pm, DJs and dancers 6pm–10pm, film screening at dusk. Free. rebuild-foundation.org Be sure to save the date for the “Do The Right Thing” Block Party to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of Spike Lee’s most prolific film. Block Party activities start at noon and the outdoor screening begins at dusk.

22 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JUNE 19, 2019 The 61st Street Farmers Market is a program of the Experimental Station, with the support of:

Chapin May Foundation

eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. July 8–August 17. Ages 10–17. $750. (708) 730-4683. Register online at bfliproductions.org

The Adaptations of Augie March—Performance and Special Collections Exhibition: Final Week Court Theater, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. Through Sunday June 22. Wednesday through Sunday, 7:30pm; 2pm matinee, Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets $50-$74. Call the box office at (773) 753-4472 or visit courttheater.org See the brilliant coming-of-age story based on the novel by Saul Bellow, former University of Chicago faculty member and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Written by David Auburn and directed

by Charles Newell, the production stars Patrick Mulvey, making his Court debut in the title role, and Adam Benjamin, taking over the role of Simon. Then, be sure to visit the free exhibition at the Special Collections Research Center Gallery, 1100 E. 57th Street, Monday through Friday 9am–4:45pm. Curated by Court Theatre Dramaturg Nora Titone, the exhibition showcases treasures like the early handwritten draft of Saul Bellow’s novel and materials from the theater artists’s work on the Court’s current production. (Nicole Bond)

FOOD & LAND Farmers Markets Sundays: Maxwell Street Market, S. Desplaines St. & W. Taylor St. Sundays, 9am–3pm. bit.ly/ MaxwellStMarketChicago 95th Street Farmers Market, 1835 W. 95th St. Sundays, 8am–1pm, through November. c Pilsen Community Market, 1820 S. Blue Island Ave. Sundays, 9am–3pm, through

EVENTS

October. facebook.com/pilsenmarket Wood Street Urban Farm Stand, 1757 W. 51st St. Sundays, 9am–noon, through November 24.

McKinley Park Farmers Market, 3705 S. Archer Ave. Sundays, 10am–2pm. Through September 29. facebook.com/MPFM1 Wednesdays: Back of the Yards Community Market, S. 51st St. & W. Throop St. Wednesdays, 3pm–7pm, through September 25.

Boxville, 320 E. 51st St. Wednesdays, 4pm–7pm, starting June 19. facebook.com/ Boxville51 Thursdays: City Market at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. Thursdays, 7am–2pm, through October 24. bit.ly/DaleyPlazaMarket South Loop Farmers Market, 1936 S. Michigan Ave. Thursdays, 4pm–8pm, through September 26. southloopfarmersmarket.com Hyde Park Farmers Market, 5300 S. Harper Ct. Thursdays, 7am–1pm, through October. downtownhydeparkchicago.com Saturdays: 61st Street Farmers Market, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Saturdays, 9am–2pm, through October 27. experimentalstation.org/market The Plant Farmers Market, 1400 W. 46th St. The first Saturday of each month, 11am– 3pm. plantchicago.org/farmers-market Eden Place Farmers Market, 4911 S. Shields Ave. Saturdays, 8am–2pm, through October 12. edenplacefarms.org Printers Row City Market, 700 S. Dearborn St. Saturdays, 7am–1pm, June 15 through October 26.

Farmers Market at The Port Ministries, 5013 S. Hermitage Ave. The second Saturday of each month, noon–4pm. facebook.com/ theportministries Multiple Days: UHSC Farm Stand, 1809 W. 51st St. Mondays–Fridays, 9am–1pm, through November 25.

Gary Comer Youth Center Farmers Market, 7200 S. Ingleside Ave. Tuesdays & Fridays, 3pm–6pm, June 18 to October 29. garycomeryouthcenter.org/produce Farm on Ogden Food Stand, 3555 W. Ogden Ave. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11am– 7pm; Wednesdays, Fridays, & Saturdays, 10am–6pm. chicagobotanic.org Summer has arrived, and Chicagoans are blessed with neighborhood farmers markets! Also remember, the Illinois

Products Farmers' market will double Link purchases to $25 per card holder, per market day. Shop local, support midwest farmers, and enjoy healthy nourishment! Food justice is social justice, support fair wages and environmentally conscious agriculture production. (Morgan Richardson)

Chicago Jerk Festival Washington Park, 5533 Russell Dr. Sunday, June 23. 11am–10pm. $25–75. No refunds.

Jamaican jerk food will be the centrepiece of this food and music festival, hosted by Jabari CG Productions in association with Africa International House, with the jerk concept expanded to other national foods.

The event is suitable for the whole family: along with souvenir stalls, face painting, and games for children, there will be music played on an outdoor stage, featuring a range of Caribbean, Spanish, African, and Reggae artists. ( Jade Yan)

World’s Largest Swimming Lesson Mckinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd. Thursday, Jun 20. 6pm–7pm. Free.

Hundreds of youth and families at 76 Chicago Park District swimming pools around Chicago and thousands around the globe, will join for The World's Largest Swim Lesson on June 20, 2019 at 6pm!

Help break the Guinness World Record, and spread the word that Swimming Lessons Save Lives! All ages and swim levels welcome. (Morgan Richardson)

Historic Pullman Garden Walk 11141 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Saturday, June 22. 10am. hgpc.org Tour Historic Pullman gardens! Enjoy six lovely floral displays, along with tea on the veranda of Hotel Florence, and distinctive Pullman architecture. (Morgan Richardson)

Chicago Food Truck Festival

Intro to Urban Foraging

South Loop Green Space, 2400 S. State St. Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23.

11am–8pm both days. $0–10 (General admission is required and free, VIP tickets are available). chgofoodtruckfest.com

The Plant, 1400 W. 46th St. 10am–12pm. $30. bit.ly/IntroUrbanForaging19

Food trucks including Aztec Daves and CheSa's Gluten Tootin Free Gourmet Food Truck will be making an appearance at this two-day event. This is Chicago’s sixth annual food truck festival, featuring over fifty-five food trucks. There will be finger food, outdoor games, and live music. ( Jade Yan)

2019 Woodlawn5KDash/ Food Truck Fest 1130 Midway Plaisance. Saturday, Jun 29.

5pm. Free. Register at woodlawn5kdash.com For a food truck festival closer to the Woodlawn community, journey over to the Midway Plaisance for the third annual Woodlawn Food Truck Fest, which gives small businesses in the area the chance to highlight their products. Hosted by the non-profit Woodlawn Diversity in Action, this year’s food truck fest will emphasise mental health and violence prevention, and will begin with an energetic 5K dash. There will be a children’s pavilion with a bouncy castle and other games. ( Jade Yan)

Join Plant Chicago for an interactive plant walk, introducing urban foraging techniques. (Morgan Richardson)

THE ITTY BITTY

EVENTS CALENDAR 6100 S Blackstone (773) 627-5058 More info online at buildcoffee.org

Saturday, June 22 Found Objects Patio Pop-Up 9:00 am — 1:00 pm A one-day-only pop-up during the 61st St Farmers Market! Found Objects is a lifestyle brand whose mission is to encourage women to embrace their power. Creator Angelica Callanta was born and raised in the city of Chicago. Rooted in her Filipino heritage, she discovered hip-hop music as a preteen.

The history, politics, boldness, and beauty of both cultures would heavily influence not just her style but the way in which she viewed the world. The woman who wears Found Objects is at once classic & fierce, elegant & dramatic, powerful & graceful.

Saturday, June 29 South Rhodes Records Patio Pop-Up 9:00 am — 1:00 pm South Rhodes Records is returning to the Build Coffee patio!

Operating from Woodlawn, SRR provides select new and reissued music as well as rare, mintcondition originals. This is during the 61st Street Farmers Market— stop by and pick up some vinyl to spin with your local fruits and veggies.

Monday, July 1 The Experiment Open Mic 6:00 pm — 8:00 pm The Experiment is a free open mic at Build Coffee every first Monday of the month. Bring your songs, poems, music, stories, dances— whatever you can do in five minutes. Sign-ups open up at 6pm!

JUNE 19, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 23

South Side Circuit:

Ourselves, Our Communities, Our Memories

Workshops Tuesdays & Thursdays throughout the month of July FREE

logancenter.uchicago.edu/communityarts

773.702.ARTS LoganCenterCommunityArts

Join us and our community partners for workshops in personal altar making and spiritual practices, storytelling, social justice theater, journaling, Kemetic yoga, dance and movement, and a family-friendly retro gaming night at the new Weston Game Lab. All workshops and events are FREE.

Logan Center for the Arts 915 E 60th St

RSVP is recommended, but not required: bit.ly/southsidecircuit2019