Notre Dame de Chicago Parish to raise funds to help restore the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris

CHICAGO - May 29, 2019 - PRLog -- Notre Dame de Chicago Parish, whose history dates back to 1864, making it the third oldest parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, will host a special liturgy on Sunday, June 2, 2019, to raise funds to help support the renovation and restoration of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France, and to assist homeless Parisians.

There will be a special tri-lingual liturgy in English, Spanish, and French beginning with prelude music at 10:30 a.m. The liturgy will start at 11 a.m. During the liturgy, a collection will be taken and the proceeds will be divided equally to support the efforts to rebuild the Cathedral of Notre Dame, as well as to assist those who are homeless and in need of food and shelter in the Paris community.

Historic Notre Dame de Chicago Church, located at 1334 W. Flournoy Street, opened in 1887 and was built with the generosity and creativity of Chicago's French community, whose members had emigrated from the city of Montreal and the province of Québec, Canada. The Romanesque-style church was built at a cost at the time of $100,000. The church's magnificent stained glass windows were made by hand in Québec and shipped by railcar to Chicago.

Dedicated to the Blessed Mother, the church, in addition to its stained glass, offers a series of murals and statues that help to tell the story of the life of the Mother of the Roman Catholic Church.

The church's cupola stands 155 feet from the ground. Notre Dame de Chicago Church survived a 1978 lightning strike and fire, resulting in 500,000 gallons of water pouring through the interior of the worship space in an effort to contain the blaze. The church was repaired at that time, and then underwent more than $4.5 million in renovations from the late 1990s through the early 2000s, with the majority of the funds raised by its parishioners.

"Notre Dame de Chicago stands as a testament to Chicago's French community and is the last vestige of buildings constructed by that community in the city," explained Rev. Kevin Hays, Pastor of Notre Dame de Chicago Parish. "Our parish is part of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Renew My Church process, and it will be canonically suppressed after June 30, although our worship site will remain open under the newly reconfigured parish in Chicago's Little Italy community. This special liturgy is a means for us to pray with our French brothers and sisters in Paris for the restoration of the beloved Cathedral of Notre Dame. In addition, our parish motto is, 'The Parish with Heart in the Heart of the City,' and we are committed to helping the less fortunate through a variety of outreach efforts. The fundraising aspect of the liturgy will allow all Chicagoans to come together in unison on June 2 to pray for our brethren in Paris, to help with the restoration effort, and to support the homeless who live under the shadows of the Cathedral."

Joining with the Notre Dame de Chicago Parish community will be Mr. Guillaume Lacroix, Consul General of the Republic of France, and Mr. Jean-François Hould, Delegate of the Québec province in Chicago.  Also participating that day will be the Honorable Jason Ervin, Alderman of the 28th Ward, and the Honorable Patrick D. Thompson, Alderman of the 11th Ward. Representatives of the Alliance Francaise de Chicago also will be present. Mr. Lacroix and Mr.  Hould will offer remarks prior to the conclusion of the liturgy.

Invitations also have been sent to Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot. Notre Dame Parish is awaiting their responses.

Following the liturgy, there will be a special reception in the church's lower hall. Media will have access to the dignitaries in attendance at that time. Video can be taken during the liturgy.

Notre Dame de Chicago Church is fully handicapped accessible and is air conditioned. Website: https://nddc.archchicago.org/,