“The Pope’s Church”
St. Mary’s / St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church / Pope Leo XIV’s Childhood Church and School
Address: 310 E. 137th Street/13764 S. Leyden Avenue
Architect: George S. Smith
Year: 1957
Style: Midcentury Modern
Neighborhood: Riverdale
“The Pope’s School”
St. Mary’s / St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic School
Address: 307 E. 137th Street
Architect: Hermann J. Gaul
Year: 1918
Style: Gothic
Neighborhood: Riverdale
Overview
St. Mary’s Church, also known as St. Mary of the Assumption Church and School, was organized in 1886 to initially serve 30 German Catholic families. Located at 138th and Leyden Avenue, it’s in the Riverdale community in the furthest southern part of Chicago. An early one-story combination of church and school building, constructed in 1918, was designed by Hermann Gaul, and the parish school building next to the church that followed in the 1920s. The mid-century church structure, designed in a simplified Renaissance style, was completed in 1957 by Chicago architect George S. Smith. The property is currently owned by Mr. Joe Hall, founder of JBlendz Enterprises.
With the election of Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost) in 2025, the St. Mary’s Church and School complex gained national and international historic significance as his childhood parish. Pope Leo lived in Dolton, a village adjacent to Riverdale and the southern border of Chicago. He grew up in the parish, where he served as an altar boy, sang in the choir and attended the parish elementary school. The church campus played a key role in the early life and formation of the first American-born pope. Unfortunately, the parish has been out of operation since 2011 and merged with nearby parishes due to its declining membership. The vacant church and school buildings have experienced significant deterioration because of a damaged roof and windows. Efforts are being made to preserve the property. In May 2025, Preservation Chicago formally requested designation of the church as a Chicago Landmark to protect it from demolition and support its restoration.
History
In the mid-19th century, the Riverdale area was settled by railroad workers for the Illinois Central Railroad. The majority were German Catholics. Without a local parish, the 30 families living in the area had to travel to Blue Island or Pullman to attend Mass. With approval of then-Chicago Archbishop Patrick Feehan (1829-1902), St. Mary of the Assumption Church was established in the Riverdale area in 1886. Three years later in 1889, Riverdale was annexed to Chicago.
In 1913, Rev. William H. Dettmer acquired the property on the 300 block of E. 137th Street. In 1918, Hermann J. Gaul (1869-1949), a German-born Chicago architect known for designing Roman Catholic buildings, was commissioned to design a new one-story combination church and school building at 307 E. 137th. Gaul had apprenticed with Louis Sullivan before establishing his own architectural practice and working for German clients throughout Chicago and the midwest. As the number of young children in the parish increased, an addition to the west end of the combined church-school building was completed in 1936.
In the years after World War II, families continued to relocate from Chicago’s congested neighborhoods to the Riverdale-Dolton area. Between 1956 and 1957, the existing modern brick church was constructed and designed by Chicago architect George Stanislaus Smith (1899-). Like Gaul, Smith’s career began with training at several prominent Chicago architectural firms, including Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, before he established his own firm. Much of his work involved the design of Roman Catholic churches and schools, particularly on Chicago’s south side.
By the time of its diamond jubilee in 1961, the parish had grown to 1,500 families, with 863 children enrolled in the school. A school annex with more classrooms was added in 1962 to accommodate this growth, and the rectory was enlarged the following year. By the late 1970s, St. Mary’s was at its peak. In 1978, the parish included more than 2,000 families, with 324 children in the parish school and hundreds more participating in the CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) religious education program. A wide range of parish organizations, educational initiatives and athletic programs supported children, teenagers and adults.
Threats
Originally known simply as “St. Mary’s,” St. Mary of the Assumption Church and School suffered over time from consolidation of the church and parish and closure of the school and campus. The buildings stood vacant for over a decade and were finally sold. Unfortunately, extensive deterioration occurred and funds are needed today to restore the seven buildings on the campus. Capital improvements must be made to all of the structures, dating from 1917 to 1957. This is particularly important today given the significance of the site as the childhood church and school of the first American Pope in history.
For a half century, Chicago’s Riverdale neighborhood has experienced disinvestment and demographic changes that left behind a community with fewer and fewer resources. At the far southern corner of Chicago near Dalton, Illinois, Pope Leo’s childhood home is a place where many Chicagoans probably never visited before. It’s far from downtown Chicago and the more dense and popular Lakefront communities, which have so many resources.
We believe there is a path toward renewal. However, funds must be secured in the immediate future or the buildings are at risk of further deterioration – and perhaps demolition in the future. We’re encouraging all parties and stakeholders to work together, along with the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois, to help move preservation and restoration forward quickly.
Recommendations
St. Mary of the Assumption Church and School is a remarkable campus located in the Riverdale neighborhood of Chicago that has experienced a half-century of disinvestment. It requires partnerships to be formed and a large infusion of capital funds to stabilize and restore this campus of buildings that dates back to 1917.
All of this is possible. The fact that Pope Leo XIV, a respected world leader, head of state and first American-born Pope, spent his most formative years at this church and school can spur revisioning of the site. It could also provide opportunities to encourage reinvestment in this far south-side community overall.
Realizing that Pope Leo holds incredible influence over many aspects of world diplomacy and is the respected leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics across the globe, this campus could easily become a pilgrimage site for visitors from all over the world.
Such an idea and vision is a unique opportunity that could greatly benefit the Riverdale Community of Chicago, as well as the South Suburbs, in addition to the City of Chicago, which was once the largest Archdiocese in the United States. Most importantly there’s the opportunity to rebuild this community which has suffered from racial changes and give hope to an area that has few resources, like other communities in and around Chicago.
We at Preservation Chicago are of the opinion that St. Mary of the Assumption Church Campus should once again be a great source of pride to the community and to Chicago. We would very much like to see a partnership form to save these buildings and tell the story of this world leader.
An initial step in this process would be to consider a Chicago Landmark Designation of the buildings of this campus, with a plan to methodically restore and repurpose each of the buildings. Such plans could include a small chapel and shrine within the former church sanctuary dedicated to this new world leader, that once hailed from Chicago and nearby Dalton. The other structures could serve a variety of purposes, which would generate income and a source of pride.
But most importantly recognizing Pope Leo XIV’s childhood church home and school having a profound influence on this remarkable individual–now a respected world leader among nations, joined with his continuing service to humanity and the world.