
Kathy Headley
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.

Kathy Headley
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 63rd 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, 17th 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 63rd 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 59th 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 71st Street, just a bit west of California. He first opened its doors in 1978. Anyone remember what the name of his business was?
Local News

Competitive Dance State Finals | Evergreen Park has sixth sense again
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer BLOOMINGTON — For the second straight year, Evergreen Park’s competitive dance team qualified for the second day of state competition. For the second straight year, the Mustangs were the first team to perform on the second day. And for the second straight year, they finished sixth in the…

Area Sports Roundup: Shepard, Sandburg and Marist win cheerleading sectional titles
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The area collected three sectional cheerleading championships and head into the state competition with a head of steam. Sandburg, Marist and Shepard came out of sectional competition with trophies and will compete in the IHSA state finals, to be held Friday and Saturday at Grossinger Arena at Illinois…

College Notebook | Grace Hynes helps Maroons end NYU’s unbeaten run
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent Mother McAuley alum Grace Hynes was the University Athletic Association’s Athlete of the Week in women’s college basketball for the timeframe ending January 17. Hynes, a senior at the University of Chicago, had 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Maroons’ handed top-ranked New York University its first loss…

Viking girls are golden
Spread the love The St. Laurence High School cheerleaders (aka the Golden Girls) won first place in their division at the Spartan Showdown at Marian Catholic High School late last month. Clearing and Garfield Ridge girls played a key role in the team’s success. Those girls (and their grade schools) are: Lauren Weyer (St. Jane…

Warn of burglars in Garfield Ridge
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A cluster of residential burglaries in Garfield Ridge has prompted police to issue a warning to the community. Crime scenes include: 5200 block of South Normandy on Jan. 1. 5600 block of South Mobile on Jan. 7. 5300 block of South Mason on Jan. 10. 6000 block of West 60th Street…

Bust accused shooter in Clearing
Spread the loveBy Tim Hadac Chicago Police and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force visited Clearing late last month to apprehend a man wanted in connection with a West Side shooting. Shaheer Muhammad, 24 of the 3800 block of West Grenshaw, was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at a home in the 6000 block…

College Notebook: Ex-Spartan Sprycha balling with Bearcats
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent The fall of 2022 was successful both in the classroom and on the football field for Jordan Sprycha. In the classroom, the Oak Lawn graduate was one of eight McKendree University chosen to the 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. CSC Academic All-District Award nominees must be a…

Hoops Wrap: Ahmad Henderson’s late-game heroics lift Rice over Marist
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer There is no rule that says Ahmad Henderson needs to sink a game-winning basket at least once a season. If there was such a rule, the Brother Rice senior would follow it to perfection. Henderson worked his closing-seconds magic in one of the area’s hottest rivalries in a…

Area Sports Roundup: Evergreen Park dancers make history with first sectional crown
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Evergreen Park was the only team from the area to place in the state’s top 12 in competitive dancing last season. The Mustangs, who finished a program-best sixth in the state in Class 1A in 2021, are seeking an even better showing this year. Evergreen Park made history…
Neighbors

‘Omnibus’ health care bill passed amid criticisms
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A law recently signed by Gov. JB Pritzker will extend the deadline for the state to transfer criminal defendants deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial from jail to a mental hospital. That same bill, House Bill 240, also gives nursing homes in Illinois two more years…

Veteran Statehouse reporter Hannah Meisel joins Capitol News Illinois reporting team
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS [email protected] Longtime Statehouse reporter Hannah Meisel has joined the Capitol News Illinois team as a full-time state government and politics reporter. She’s had a number of assignments covering the Statehouse and Illinois government since the 2014 legislative session, most recently serving as Statehouse editor for NPR Illinois from 2020 until after…

Replacing Illinois institution as secretary of state, Giannoulias makes modernization push
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – For newly sworn-in Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, customer service is the central mission as he assumes the state’s second-largest constitutional office, replacing the man who had held it for nearly a quarter century. “Modernization and bringing new technology is going to be at the forefront…

UPDATED: State preparing further defense of assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Monday filed a petition asking an appellate court to vacate a temporary restraining order that was issued late Friday afternoon blocking enforcement of the state’s recently-passed assault weapons ban. Raoul’s office filed the petition in the 5th District Appellate Court in…

State preparing further defense of assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and legislative leaders said they were disappointed but not surprised by a judge’s decision late Friday putting a temporary and limited halt to enforcement of the state’s recently-passed assault weapons ban. Effingham County Judge Joshua Morrison issued the temporary restraining order late Friday…

Rifle Association files federal suit against assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Rifle Association has joined forces with other gun rights advocates in filing a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s new ban on the sale and manufacture of semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. It’s the latest legal challenge to the law, which went into effect…

DCFS, director face lawsuit filed on behalf of jailed wards
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Thursday was named in a federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of children in state care who have been held in juvenile detention centers after a judge ordered their release. Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert is a…

At World Economic Forum, Pritzker plays role of Illinois’ ‘best chief marketing officer’
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – After his second-term inauguration amid a frenzied “lame duck” legislative session last week, Gov. JB Pritzker took the global stage this week at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The governor and high-ranking members of his staff joined a bipartisan delegation of U.S.…

Watchdog seeks harsher penalties in wake of abuse at Choate
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois & MOLLY PARKER Lee Enterprises Midwest This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Lee Enterprises, along with Capitol News Illinois. The watchdog for the Illinois Department of Human Services is seeking harsher penalties against health care workers who obstruct abuse and neglect investigations. IDHS…

Rifle Association files federal suit against assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Rifle Association has joined forces with other gun rights advocates in filing a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s new ban on the sale and manufacture of semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. It’s the latest legal challenge to the law, which went into effect…