“The West Side has a new Chicago landmark: the 90-year-old Pentecostal Church of Holiness in the K-Town neighborhood of North Lawndale.
“The landmark designation was approved by City Council Wednesday, giving the building at 1444 S. Keeler Ave. protection from demolition and access to tax and financial incentives. The church’s Pastor Chaun Johnson started pursuing landmark status in 2019.
“‘We want to ensure that those who hear about North Lawndale will know that there is a lily in the valley. There is beauty in what seems to be degradation,’ said pastor Chaun Johnson.
“The church was originally founded as a Catholic parish, Our Lady of Lourdes, that served the predominantly Czech population who migrated to Lawndale from the Pilsen neighborhood. The Catholic parish was originally a wooden building, but as the congregation grew, it was rebuilt in 1932 in the Romanesque Revival-style architecture that survives today.
“The church remained a central part of K-Town even as the area transformed to a Black community in the ’50s, as racist housing policy and disinvestment made it one of the poorest parts of Chicago.
“‘I want to preserve it. We want to preserve our history, and demonstrate and show the community that we are invested in our neighborhood,’ Johnson said. (Sabino, Block Club Chicago, 5/26/21)
My brother and sisters attended this church and school from 1957 through 1970. During which time it was still multi racial but predominetly became black. In addition to the church on the corner of 15th and Keeler Ave, the grade school (kindergarden thu 8th grade) was on the NE corner, Mr. Lightfoot neighborhood store was on the SE corner and the Nuns Convent was on the SW corner. The Fathers and Priests lived at the rectory attached to the church that was on the NW corner. All 6 of us graduated and went on to catholic high schools Providence St.Mel HS , St. Philips HS and St.Marys’ HS.
Father Maxwell, Bishop Dempsey, Sister Mary Ann and Sister Causmus were all instrumental in providing students with a quality education guidance and mentorship during and beyond grade school.
The year the nuns changed from the long black dresses to the shorter ones just above the knee, was the year I feel in love with Sister Causmus my 8th grade teacher.
I missed the lunchroom ladies cornbread , Sloppy Joes , and Bordens chocolate milk.
The church was so majestic and such a spiritual sanctuary I continued to visit it even after the school closed.
Our family would attend midnight mass there every Christmas Eve. There was always an unexplainable joy and comfort during the service when the priest would swing the incent burner and the fragrance was like no other.
The sound of the pipe organ made the whole experience magical.
I stopped going to the confession booth after I became a sophmore in high school. “Dont ask why”
To this day the hand rails I would slid down on at the entrance of the church is still there. I did notice the metal plaque that was mounted on the exterior wall west of the entrance has been removed. I couldn’t read it anyway.
Sometimes I would drive there sit and reminisce about earlier times there as a child. I cherish those memories.
Thanks for fighting to make it a Land Mark.
D.Taylor Our Lady of Lourdes class of 1969.
My brother and sisters attended this church and school from 1957 through 1970. During which time it was still multi racial but predominetly became black. In addition to the church on the corner of 15th and Keeler Ave, the grade school (kindergarden thu 8th grade) was on the NE corner, Mr. Lightfoot neighborhood store was on the SE corner and the Nuns Convent was on the SW corner. The Fathers and Priests lived at the rectory attached to the church that was on the NW corner. All 6 of us graduated and went on to catholic high schools Providence St.Mel HS , St. Philips HS and St.Marys’ HS.
Father Maxwell, Bishop Dempsey, Sister Mary Ann and Sister Causmus were all instrumental in providing students with a quality education guidance and mentorship during and beyond grade school.
The year the nuns changed from the long black dresses to the shorter ones just above the knee, was the year I feel in love with Sister Causmus my 8th grade teacher.
I missed the lunchroom ladies cornbread , Sloppy Joes , and Bordens chocolate milk.
The church was so majestic and such a spiritual sanctuary I continued to visit it even after the school closed.
Our family would attend midnight mass there every Christmas Eve. There was always an unexplainable joy and comfort during the service when the priest would swing the incent burner and the fragrance was like no other.
The sound of the pipe organ made the whole experience magical.
I stopped going to the confession booth after I became a sophmore in high school. “Dont ask why”
To this day the hand rails I would slid down on at the entrance of the church is still there. I did notice the metal plaque that was mounted on the exterior wall west of the entrance has been removed. I couldn’t read it anyway.
Sometimes I would drive there sit and reminisce about earlier times there as a child. I cherish all those memories.
Thanks for fighting to make it a Land Mark.
D.Taylor Our Lady of Lourdes class of 1969.