Transfiguration of Our Lord
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Parish Rectory Office 2609 W. Carmen AvenueChicago, Illinois 60625 T: (773) 561-7953 F: (773) 561-7635 TransOfOurLordCC@aol.com Hours: Monday 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
Transfiguration is a full-service parish offering a variety of ministries to meet the needs of our parishioners and friends. Our mission is to walk with you on your Faith Journey - so together - we can realize our true goal in life - Eternal Happiness. |
History
Budlong and Bowmanville... A Beginning
For many years the Bowmanville area on the far north side of Chicago was a tiny village of homes, prairies and the large Budlong Farms, famous for their onions. Into this community there came a number of immigrant families from Poland. For the most part they were farmers, anxious to work the soil as they had done in their troubled homeland across the sea.
They brought with themselves few material things, but in their hearts they carried their greatest treasure- their Faith. In those days they went to Mass at Saint Matthias Church at Western and Ainslie, which had been founded in 1887 for the convenience of German-speaking immigrants. although Fr. M. Thiele, pastor of St. Matthias Church, welcomed them, the language barrier proved a formidable obstacle to the practice of their religion, and many of the early pioneers would travel long distances for Sunday Mass and instructions. Some traveled to Saint Stanislavs Kostka Parish on Noble Street, and others to Saint Josaphat's at Southport and Belden.
As the number of families increased, the desire for a parish of their own was made known to Father X. Lange, then pastor of Saint Josaphat's parish, and a member of the Archdiocesan Board of Consultors. Having determined that the number of families living in the vicinity warranted a parish of their own, Fr. Lange presented their request to the Most REverend James E. Quigley, Archbishop of Chicago. On Aug. 12, 1911, ARchbishop Quigley assigned Fr. Francis Wojciechowski the task of organizing the Bowmanville parish, which was to be called Transfiguration of Our Lord Church.
Four days later, on Aug. 16th, Fr. Wojciechowski, with the cooperation of Fr. Thiele, called a meeting in the St. Matthias parish hall where he publicly announced the formation of the new parish. The fist Mass was offered by the new pastor in the Budlong School hall on Aug. 23, 1911.
A short time later a square block of property bounded by Carmen, Rockwell, Washtenaw, and Winnemac Streets was purchased as a parish site. At the corner of Carmen and Rockwell ground was broken for a combination building that would house the church and the school.
On Dec. 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Quigley presided at the laying of the cornerstone for the new building. During the period of construction Sunday Masses were said at the Budlong school, at Washtenaw and Winona. Finally, on July 14, 1912, the Archbishop returned to dedicate and bless the completed church and school building.
Transfiguration of Our Lord is one of the Six Parishes of Lincoln Avenue
The Six Parishes of Lincoln Avenue Mission Statement
The six Parishes of Lincoln Avenue – St. Alphonsus, St. Andrew, St. Benedict, Queen of Angels, St. Matthias and Transfiguration – in the name of the Lord Jesus, endeavor to serve the spiritual, formational, educational and social needs of people of all ages living near this great and diverse Chicago street. We seek to collaborate in a full range of ministries, which is complementary, not competitive. We gratefully encourage those who are now members of these parishes to continue their life with us. We invite those who have not chosen a parish to visit and join one of these Faith communities. Ours is a tradition of prayer, outreach, community, life-long learning and quality Catholic schools that is historic and ever new.
