This catholic school doesn't get enough credit. My son's are loving the teachers, classes and what…read morethey offer as far as academics, sports, after school activities and last aftercare as full time mom working long hours. St.Symphorosa is always there to the rescue. Thank you so much St. Symphorosa for everything.

Excellent teachers and staff. Strong communication. Excellent religious education for all students…read more Very loyal caring and dependable teachers.

This is not a review as such but the addition of historical information to the review of Christine…read moreB. I attended St. Clare of Montefalco school from 1938 to 1946. At that time, there were only two buildings on the property: the one now called The Old School, and east of it a condemned structure that had once been the parish church. The rest of the block up to 54th St. between Washtenaw and Talman was vacant and provided an enormous playground. At that time, the church was in the part of the Old School building nearest to 55th St. Those of us who attended St. Clare assumed that that part of the building was to have served as a gymnasium but had to become the church after the original church building was condemned. The basement of the Old School was where we could hold a school breakfast after first-Friday Communion, take part in Miss Green's dancing class, watch a movie, or put on a play. Boy Scout troop 411 was founded at St. Clare about 1943 and provided excellent opportunities for boys to develop personal character and abilities. The school consisted of 8 grades, a single class per grade. Our teachers were the good nuns of the Adrian Dominicans. Records of the Order of St. Augustine indicate that Rev. William L. Fink, O.S.A., was Pastor and Prior from 1939 to 1947. Fr. Joseph F. O'Malley, O.S.A, was Assistant Pastor from 1943 to 1951. I once upset Father O'Malley terribly. I arrived late for my first altar-boy assignment and he--having already started saying Mass--saw me about to come from the sacristy wearing a red cassock because none of the black ones fit me. He sent the other server to keep me from entering the sanctuary. The memory of his post-Mass vociferation is part of my life. Father O'Malley taught at St. Rita High School from 1951 to 1960, when he returned to St. Clare as Pastor.

This rating was determined by : The Architecture of the…read moreChurch The Website Meeting Father Celichowski, the Pastor Church Review #2 My quest to put a "face to the place" - - that is "Picture to the Page" - Yelp Business Page, of course! My day got off to a late start this morning but it turned out to be a good thing - - kind of a "Divine Timing" thing! I wanted to get some pictures of the church for my review. Not only was my timing great because the church was open and I was not disturbing any services, but also because I was able to chat with the Pastor, Father John Celichowski. He clarified a few of my memories and observations about St. Clare and now I feel a bit more confident presenting this review. MEMORY LANE /a little history As I mentioned in my St. Simon the Apostle review, most churches in the area were founded by immigrants of a certain ethnic background. I grew up near St. Clare of Montefalco Church and really was never aware of any strong ethnic origin. It seemed there were a number of Irish, although I also knew kids of Polish and Slovak descent that went to school here. This was in the 1950-60's. I attempted to find more information online but was not successful. Father Celichowski confirmed that the church was a blend of nationalities and mentioned Irish, German and Lithuanian in those earlier days. The neighborhood has changed since then and now the area is mostly Hispanic and most of the Hispanic people are Mexican - - and so are the parishioners of this Parish. I mentioned to Father that I believe the Sisters that taught the grammar school in the 1950-60's were from the Dominican Order in Adrian, Michigan. We then talked about the priests and he mentioned that the original order at St. Clare was Augustinians. Father Celichowski, Father Weller (Resident Priest) and Father Martinez (Associate Pastor) are OFM Capuchin. I did not think to ask when the order of priests changed at St. Clare. Online I found a Facebook page for nearby St. Rita of Cascia. It seems in 1909, St. Rita had three mission churches : St. Clare, St. Gall and St. Nicholas of Tolentine. All three eventually became separate parishes in the area. I had never heard this before and I thought that it was interesting. BUILDINGS of St. Clare of Montefalco St. Clare of Montefalco had the whole block - - 54th Street to 55th Street /Talman Avenue to Washtenaw Avenue. The church is at the corner of 55th and Washtenaw. The church was built in 1953. It was a beautiful church then and it still is. The rectory is north of the church. The "new school building" is in the middle of the block on Talman Avenue. I think it was probably built in the 1960's (I forgot to ask). A Tribune article in January 2001 said the school would close that year and the school - - as a parochial school - - did close. There is also the "old school building", which is on 55th Street near Talman. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) now leases those buildings and it is Talman Elementary School. The convent was the building just north of the "new school". I am not sure how that building is presently used, but I think it might also be used by Talman School. I noticed that there is now a children's playground on the sw corner of 54th Street and Talman Avenue. PARKING There is plenty of parking in the lot on the north end of the block. The main entrance to the parking lot is about two thirds down Washtenaw Avenue, which is a one - way street going southbound. There is parking on the ne corner of 55th and Talman, but I think that might be part of Talman School. There is also street parking around the block. THE WEBSITE St. Clare has a pretty decent website - - if you can find it! It did not show up when I searched for it on my tablet. I found it in the Google Review of St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic Church. It shows up as a website for "St. Clare of Montefalco Parish Church". It lists the church hours and activities. There is also a nice page about the Ministry Staff. You find these when you tap the very, very small menu box under the top picture on the home page. It would be nice if they had a page with their history because I am sure it would be a bit more reliable than my recollections - - which are to the best of my memory and knowledge and what I remembered to ask Father Celichowski! FATHER CELICHOWSKI was very nice and helpful. At the end of our conversation, I mentioned that I had a difficult time finding their website - - so it just might be easier to find in the future. It was soon time for Father to hear confessions and so our conversation ended. I really appreciate that he took the time to speak with me because I pretty much interrupted him. He was very gracious. I took some pictures in and around the church. Some did not turn out very good, so I guess I will be visiting this church again in coming days. Church Review #2 Gage Park, My Neighborhood - Review #17

We're parishioners, and we love this community…read more We actually live within one block of another parish--in which I spent most of my childhood/young adutlhood--but always found it cold and clannish. So, we've always had a "home" parish that wasn't necessarilly right down the street. I know that used to be prohibited, but now you can join the parish of your choice. We eventually settled on St. Walter, and we like it because: --It's traditional. We have a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, and the CCD program is solid. We also have Carmelite sisters who help with the school, the religious ed program, the masses....they're very kind and approachable, and they set such a great example for the schoolchildren. We also have active pro-life, peace and justice, and other groups. --The congregation is very representative of the cultural makeup of the city. I don't care what ethnic group my fellow worshippers belong to, but the fact is that in some parishes, if you're not a member of a particular group, you're always an outsider. Not so at St. Walter. --The church has become more aesthetically pleasing since they acquired an altar backdrop and several sculptures from Holy Rosary/Irish when it closed. HR is my baptismal parish, then we rejoined when we moved back to the neighborhood and remained until it was shuttered. St. Walter was built during the Church's "modernist/minimalist" design era, and lacked a lot of the vibrancy our Catholic artistic heritage has given us. The new furnishings make the church warmer. --St. Walter has a relationship with the Augustinian community. The local Augustinian fathers rotate through different masses, and it's always a treat to hear their thoughtful, insightful homilies. --Our current pastor deserves a lot of credit for the direction St. Walter Church is headed. He has also helped the school remain strong and true to Catholic values. If you're new to the area and are searching for a parish, you should consider giving St. Walter a try.

This is my home church and has been for the past 10 years. The leadership is incredible. They have…read morea plethora of options for everyone to be involved and grow in their walk with God. From the youth group to men's group to women's group and Sunday services I can truly say I just LOVE it. They have such a love for serving their community and are extremely welcoming to any newcomers. We always joke around that we are a "melting pot" because we are not just one race, we are many! Come check us out and see for yourself! :)

I went to this church a couple of times based on a recommendation from somebody I know. While…read morethere, was ignored by absolutely everybody including the one who invited me. They opened a park to the public, so they say. I took some kids to the park, and the security guard glared at us, causing one 5 year old little girl to cry, this after being refused access to their bathroom. I saw the pastor a few days later, he told me that the bathroom was cleaned already for Sunday and they didn't appreciate my asking kids to use it because it would have messed up the bathroom. Guess the pastor isn't familiar with the story of Mary and Martha. He then told me to make arrangements with their session next time I want to take kids to the park which sign says is open for all, seemingly forgetting about Jesus saying "bring the children to me." Terrible church that seemingly doesn't follow the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. They should all be ashamed of themselves.

Pastor Greg is a great pastor and apostle and teaches all by the Word of God. You will get…read moreauthentic timely preaching. Worship service is phenomenal and the people are friendly and welcoming. Plenty of room to grow and ministries to serve in. Hope to see you Sunday for either the 8am or 10:30 service! God Bless!

Was here for a Baptism. Not much to say about the place. It is huge in side. It is beautiful…read moreinside. There is parking. I think they host a great summer fest. That's all I got.

Great priests. Awesome singers. Love this church with kind, prayerful people that love our Lord.read more

My interaction with the members of Mt Ridge has been awesome and very welcoming. They have…read moremultiple programs going on in the fact that it is a moderately size with opportunities for spiritual growth and personal development. In the climate that churches across the country memberships have decreased for multitude of reasons, Mt. Ridge has maintained its light on the porch for those who are seeking rest and want to become proactive in God's kingdom.

Really beautiful church as far as brightness. I came here for a wedding "renewal" and wow, can I…read morejust say that not all church's have to be ornate to scream vintage beauty. Let me start at the beginning. First we were lead downstairs to the sanctuary for a southern style breakfast. Yes, they have their own little kitchen to cook and serve the food. We had eggs, grits, sausage and such. You know, regular Southern Breakfast. It was nice of course, nothing fancy, but just plain nice. After the breakfast we were escorted upstairs to a really brite church, the pews are very well polished and the glass, Oh the glass indeed. with its "not so Tiffany" knock off but beautiful none the less. Yes, the ornate glass was stunning in its own right, not intricate in the least, not so polished as you would see in an older church, but simple and elegant. I was taking photos and wondering, when will they sell these? Oh that's bad to say, but I am living for the beauty it threw across the congregation with the sun shining ever so brightly. I was happy and content just with starring, although I am sure people thought I was nuts using a camera and taking photographs. But as a YELP-er, I must do it for the mass! Anyhow, take it or leave it, the church is beautiful, nothing super spectacular but for me, that wasn't the point. I loved the look and the genuine beauty and the fact that they kept up with it. Nice indeed.

St. Patrick Chuch is located in Lombard, IL. I went here for…read morea wedding and the priest was fantastic! His homily was not boring at all. I got confused going to this church because there was a lutheran church across the street. Anyway, St. Patrick's is Irish and the music provided sounded like the Celtic Singers that you see on WTTW, and the pianist was superb! Kudos!