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W E D N E S D A Y
June 25, 2025 Vol. 45, No. 51
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JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
2025 Answer Book INSIDE
St. Catherine-St. Lucy Church hosts one last Mass Oak Park OKs new roles for Austin-Oak Park parish’s legacy will continue through school, ministries Community Relations By GREGG VOSS
Contributing Reporter
Prior to Sunday’s final mass at St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Catholic Church, organ music settled over dozens of congregants as they filed in, joining their voices with hundreds more in the nave. Here stood the statue of St. Lucy, holding an olive branch and staring down at the sheer throng of people, an estimated 800 who made the trek from around the area and even across the country to partake in the Eucharist one last time at the church. Greeter George Jones, a kindly Black man pushing 90 years, smiled brightly and shook hands with virtually everyone who entered. Rev. Carl Morello, pastor of St. Catherine-St. Lucy and St. Giles, darted around, making sure final preparations were coming together. Over there was a man with his arms See LAST MASS on page 12
Commission has a new work plan, new village code descriptions and mandates to help village DEI staff By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter
ERICA BENSON
Emilia Merchen and other St. Catherine-St. Lucy parishioners who were baptized and confirmed in the church stand to be recognized. The church is being closed by the Chicago Archdiocese.
Building Community since 1993
One of Oak Park’s oldest village government institutions has some new work ahead of it. The Community Relations Commission, a citizen commission established in 1963 to promote good neighbor relations as the village began integrating, had its description in the village code updated earlier this month to bring See CRC on page 6
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