This is one of those 'Instead of mongering minutiae, Neil is seeking it out' threads ...

It's been suggested a few times that there are more folk from Chicago and its environs on here than from anywhere else.

So, ... I'm putting this query out there, especially to the old-timers from the Windy City who have been known to dig deep into the crevasses of their mind and come up with historical facts - like Lawrence, Amado, Al/A pilgrim (and where have you latter two been anyway, my brothers?), Tim Cupresin, and Michael/Hesychios ... as well as to those of more recent times, who might have heard of it

In 1975, the Official Catholic Directory, on a page titled 'Other Eastern Rites', listed churches, chapels, etc, of EC/OC Churches which did not have an eparchy/exarchate in the US. The listing held no surprises for me - except - the listing for 'Russian' included ...

"Illinois

Chicago (Chic) Annunciation Reunion Center"

'Reunion Center' apparently was the editor's interpretation of 'ecumenical', because it's also used in regard to the Pope John XXIII Center (at Fordham U) in NYC and I have no recollection of the latter ever being named that.

I've closely perused the 'Chic' listings - those for the Latin Archdiocese - in the same edition and find absolutely nothing that I can correlate to the above. So, anyone in the Windy City old enough to remember this and give me a clue as to where it was, what it was (the entry itself would suggest a chapel, I'm curious what the larger, encompassing structure was), who served it?

Many years,

Neil

I've sent the question off to a member of our parish who I think may know the answer.

Our good friend, Tim Cuprisin, passed away a few months ago. Eternal memory, vichnaja jemu pamjat'.

U-C

Yay, for us Chicagoans (but alas I am just a lowly Latin Rite Catholic here).

As far as I know, Michael was living in China for an extended time. Perhaps for work? It has been a long while since I last spoke with him.

Yes, U-C, a friend pm'ed me a few hours ago to tell me of Tim's repose - I just posted it to the prayer forum.

Dan, hmm, 40% of the folk I named in that post are Latins - so, we won't hold that against you . Michael was indeed in China for some time, but I believe is now back stateside (and in Chicago, I think).

Many years,

Neil

Neil, it appears here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=r9sTAAA...ciation+Reunion

That a Fr. Demetrius Kowalchik, O.S.B. was the director.

Someone will have to go to the library for Worship Vol. 34:

http://books.google.com/books?id=fn8TAAA...lchik&hl=en



From Peckler’s book here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=XkIgq0k...hik&f=false



A search of the Chicago Tribune on ProQuest reveals an address for the Church, but little more: "948 N Rockwell St." (There are capsule articles announcing 2 talks by Fr. Kowalchik and a note about a program for Episcopalian priests being held at the Reunion center.) A quick look at Google Street view doesn't show a church currently at that address. The 1967 Catholic directory has that as Fr. Kowalchik's address.

An obituary (June 28, 1997) for Fr. Kowalchik says he died at abbey in Lisle in 1997. The obit doesn't mention the Reunion Center saying only, "Before retiring at the abbey in 1984, Rev. Kowalchik served in various Chicago parishes, including a 10-year stay at St. Joseph Ukrainian Church, as well as churches in Indiana and Michigan."

Archimandrite Demetrius's grave at the Abbey in Lisle can be seen here:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11070640

As it turns out my friend did not attend the Russian Congregation but the congregation they did attend has an interesting story all its own. Here is his note:

Carson,
Our former church was called Christ the Redeemer church of the Byzantine-Slavonic Rite. Father Vladimir Tarasevitch OSB later Bishop Vladimir was our pastor until his death January 2, 1986. The parishioners were largely Belorussian with a few Ukrainians. We used the Russian form of the Divine Liturgy, the Synodal Rite of Moscow. Bishop Vladimir was a valid bishop but without a diocese. The church closed on the feast of St. Elijah the prophet. I believe the date was in the third or fourth week of July 2003. At that time there were only nine or ten people, including my family who were still attending divine services. The parish and building was given over to a group of Romanian Byzantine Catholics from Aurora who still worship there. The address is 3107 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago. We were very fortunate to find Annunciation Church two weeks later. Hope this info is helpful. Hope to see you Sunday, God willing. Frank.

Regarding the Russian congregation and its connection to the Abby in Lisle I do know that some people who attended that mission were served for a short time by Father Loya and some members from a mission there became members of Annunciation in Homer Glen. I'll see if I can get some more specifics.

My thanks to JohnS, JB, and Dan for the info they've provided.

For others who might be curious, I'll try and meld the info that JB offered with that which JohnS pm'ed to me.

The monks of St Procopius Abbey were, indeed, the prime movers behind establishment of the Annunciation Reunion Center. Archimandrite Demetrius, OSB, of blessed memory, was assisted in his work there by Brother George Popovics, OblSB, also of blessed memory.

It's very possible (and this is speculation on my part) that the opening of the Center was a continuation/outgrowth of the ecumenical efforts of Abbott Ambrose Ondrak, OSB, of blessed memory. As John pointed out, Abbott Ambrose sponsored three ecumenical congresses - the last of which was held in 1959. A biography of Abbott Ambrose can be read here. Archimandrite Demetrius reposed in 1997 and Brother George in 2011.

A bit about Brother George, who was clearly a much-beloved member of the community at St Procopius, can be read in his obituary and in an article from the local paper in Lisle.

The center opened in 1960 and closed in 1969. That I found it listed in a 1975 Official Catholic Directory is likely a function of the fact that the directory compilers are at the mercy of chancery offices for the currency of the data they publish. The failure to remove reference to a closed church or mission will result in it 'remaining on the books' of the OCD.

Notably, it did not appear in the very complete 1975 edition of the Directory of Eastern Rite Catholic Churches in the USA compiled by Father Andrew (Baunchalk) of Ss Peter & Paul UGCC in Wilkes-Barre.

John gathered his info from A Century of Benedictine Life 1885-1985: A Pictorial History from Chicago’s St. Procopius Abbey, which includes a photo of the Center and confirms the address data that JB retrieved from other sources.

As to the information from Carson's correspondent, I'm glad to learn that at least some of the small Belorusian community from Christ the Redeemer, of blessed memory, found a spiritual home at Annunciation. (I just discovered tonight that JohnS had brought that same fact to the forum's attention back in 2005, in reply to a query about their status.) Several years ago, our friend and brother, Michael/Hesychios, who occasionally worshipped there, and I had speculated as to what became of them.

Christ the Redeemer was the sole Belorusian parish to ever be erected in the US, when Fathers Vladimir and Chrysostom (Tarasevitch) began their ministry to the Belarusians in 1955 (as JohnS reported here back in 2005). It was 1959 when the parish relocated to its own building on W. Fullerton. And, as Carson's friend noted, it was suppressed in 2003.

Bishop Vladimir (Tarasevitch), OSB, of blessed memory, Apostolic Visitator for the Belorusians Outside of Belarus, was the last ordained hierarch of the Belorusian Catholic Church, though he lacked a formal jurisdiction. The temple, indeed, lives on as Ss Peter & Paul Romanian Greek-Catholic Church, a parish of the Eparchy of St George in Canton of the Romanians.

Again, thanks to all the sleuths who contributed to this effort. Of particular note here is that, for a period in the 60s, there were 8 Russian Catholic parishes and chapels functioning in North America* - 3 more than have typically been enumerated.

Many years,

Neil

*NYC (St Michael's), SF (OL of Fatima), LA (St Andrew the First-Called), Boston (OL of Kazan), Montreal (Protection of the Theotokos), Bronx (Protection of the Theotokos), Mt Angel OR (OL of Tikhvin), and Chicago (Annunciation).

Btw, kudos to JB, on finding the on-line data that he did. I pride myself on my ability to track down obscure materal on-line, but this had eluded my searches.

JohnS (not John Schweich, albeit quite the historical sleuth in his own right) has sent me a link to this article on the closing of the former Christ the Redeemer Belorussian parish and points out that Carson's correspondent is the Frank quoted in it.

Many years,

Neil

If we keep this up, we'll soon have to add a Historical subforum

I have a history of Christ The Redeemer in Chicago somewhere. Fr. Ihar Labacevich, pastor of St. John's Byzantine Catholic Church in Minneapolis, is Belarusian.

Yes, he is. I've always thought it would have been ideal for Father Ihar to have revived the mission - though I realize it was a very small community by the time Christ the Redeemer closed.

Many years,

Neil

Frank and Helen and indeed beloved members today of Annunciation Church along with two of their adult daughters. It's joy to see them and I count them as friends.