Adoration chapel open at St. Clare

By Kathy Headley

Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor

6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778

When the pandemic hit us hard, forcing the temporary closure of so many places–including Catholic churches–it did give parishes the opportunity to create new programs and find new ways to serve the faithful.

In our area, St. Rita of Cascia and St. Clare of Montefalco had just undergone the Renew My Church process and begun the arduous task of taking steps to be one parish.

If nothing else, it gave St. Rita and St. Clare parishes some time to make many decisions on the future of both plants that would be known as St. Rita of Cascia Parish, St. Clare of Montefalco Chapel.

One of the many projects undertaken by St. Rita Pastor Homero Sanchez OSA was remodeling and eventually reopening the adoration chapel at St. Clare. The chapel is in the back of the rectory and was originally the idea of the Capuchin priests who had lived for a time in the St. Clare rectory.

The adoration chapel, 5443 S. Washtenaw, has now been reopened for personal prayer and reflection every day from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. To enter the prayer space, an access card will be needed and can be purchased at the St. Rita of Cascia rectory, 6243 S. Fairfield. At the cost of a $10 donation, the card is good for one year. It is renewal.

I thought it made a good mention because growing up, many of us, whether Catholic or not, were used to being able to stop into a church for perhaps some quiet prayerful time some days. It’s nice to have that opportunity available for folks once again in the area.

While the weather did not cooperate last week to help toward a speedy progression on our gas company work out front, it did cooperate last Saturday for the Go Run Marquette Park 5K/One Mile event with a 9 a.m. kickoff and the bike ride through the park sponsored by the Southwest Collective which kicked off at 10. With those two events and golf and soccer, the park was a busy place.

Last weekend, many moms stopping into local businesses on 63^rd Street were surprised with a gift of a carnation, compliments of the Greater Southwest Development Corp. I know that put a smile on lots of faces.

Kudos to Ron Kalat and all the veterans out on Poppy Day, braving the cold to collect donations to help support their charitable projects throughout the year.

Did you know that veterans, and those on active duty as well, can see a White Sox game for free thanks to Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough and the Chicago White Sox? Sign up at cookcountyclerk.com/veterans or call Cook County Clerk’s Veterans Services Office at (312) 603-5788 for details.

This Saturday, May 14, 17^th Ward Ald David Moore will be holding a shred-a-thon at the Marquette Park Fieldhouse, 6743 S. Kedzie, from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, call (773) 783-3672.

Registration is now open for a free training program hosted by Greater Southwest Development on learning how to grow your business on social media. Lessons will cover content creation, paid ads and more. Classes will be held on Tuesday May 31 and June 7, 14 and 21, from 8 to 10 a.m. To register, call (773) 735-6729.

When we left 1992 last week, we were on our way to buy flowers for Mom. We were going to the shop on the northwest corner of 63^rd and Fairfield. Sandy D. was the first to recognize Kelly-Flynn Florist. She tells us Jack Kelly lived in the red two-flat apartment building a couple houses off the alley at 59^th and Talman.

Do you remember the Illinois Lottery’s $100,000 Fortune Hunt show that was broadcast on WGN on Saturdays at 6:30? If you bought the instant tickets and scratched off three television sets, you were entered in a contest to be on the show. Thirty years ago this month, one of our Chicago Lawn residents, Vito Lazauskas, went on the show and won.

In the last round Vito had to decide to choose what was behind the number 23 or 27. Now 23 was his son’s birth date and his wife’s was 27. In the end he went with his wife’s number, which had $3,200 behind it. However, had he gone with his son’s number, he would have won the $100,000! He was happy to win nonetheless.

Vito owned a business on 71^st Street, just a bit west of California. He first opened its doors in 1978. Anyone remember what the name of his business was?