CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Catholic Church in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood is resuming its tradition of having summertime masses on the street to pray for peace in the community, while also using it as a way to welcome people back to Mass following the COVID-19 pandemic.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Catholic Church, located at 2651 S. Central Park Ave. in Chicago, has had summertime weekday evening masses on streets throughout the community since before Fr. Don Nevins became pastor 14 years ago. He figures the tradition has gone on for at least 20 years.
This year, he said, the masses have added significance since they were not celebrated last summer because of the pandemic.
“Even though we’ve kind of opened up the churches and really made it more available for people to come. They don’t have to register to come for mass anymore and things like that. People are still hesitant," he said.
Fr. Nevins said there was so much interest in having the outdoor masses this summer, there will be 15 this year instead of the usual 10 through the end of July. Masses are on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will be in Spanish. They are in an effort to bring the Gospel message of peace and hope to the streets of the Little Village neighborhood.
“We continue to gather as a community and welcome the opportunity to pray for the end to violence and continued to push for peace,” said Fr. Don Nevins. “This is also an opportunity to let people know we are open for business and are welcoming people back to Mass after the pandemic."
Street Mass schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, July 20 – on 2827 S. Trumbull
Thursday, July 22 – on 2649 S. Springfield.
Tuesday, July 27 – on 2744 S. St. Louis Ave.
Thursday, July 29 – on 2232 S. St. Louis Ave.
All Masses will begin at 7 p.m. No registration is required.
The outdoor Masses will be celebrated in the middle of the street with the streets on either end temporarily blocked from the passage of cars. Participants are invited to bring their own folding chairs. The Rosary will be said before each mass.
Fr. Don Nevins said at the end of each mass, he will offer a blessing for all the children who are there.
“You don’t necessarily see them there when you’re saying the mass, but all of a sudden they’re coming from the stoops, front steps of people’s houses, and everything like that and you’ve got 40 or 50 kids that are there to receive a blessing," he said.
Fr. Nevins said the street masses are also a way to do outreach to the community, to be more welcoming.
“The pope tells us we need to be evangelizers, missionaries. We need to go to the people and that’s part of what this is all about," he said.
St. Agnes is host to the Prince of Peace Eucharistic Adoration Chapel where parishioners pray and worship throughout the day and often the night for peace and the end of violence in the world.
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