The St. Mark – St. Ambrose Combination Ends This Month
After nearly two decades, the combination of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and St. Ambrose Catholic Church will come to an end at the conclusion of April 2023. The unique partnership has served the southwest suburbs of Chicago since 2005. In 2005, as both St. Mark’s and St. Ambrose faced declining attendance, they explored a solution that would allow them to continue serving their communities. They landed on the idea of a combination, where both congregations would maintain their own identities but share a building and resources. The combination has been a success, allowing both churches to maintain their distinct missions while also providing mutual support and collaboration. St. Mark’s, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has focused on outreach to families and youth, while St. Ambrose, a member of the Roman Catholic Church, has emphasized its commitment to social justice and service to the community. However, after 18 years, the two churches have decided that it is time to move forward independently. St. Mark’s will continue to worship in the current building at 10021 S. 76th Avenue, while St. Ambrose will move to a new location at 10131 S. Claremont Avenue. “This decision has not been made lightly,” said Pastor Jim Macho of St. Mark’s. “We have valued our partnership with St. Ambrose and are grateful for the many years we have shared together. We wish them all the best as they move forward into this new chapter.” Father Tom Donovan of St. Ambrose expressed similar sentiments. “We have been blessed by the combination with St. Mark’s and have grown in our faith and understanding through our shared experiences,” he said. “We believe that this move is the right step for our parish and look forward to continuing to serve our community in a new location.” Both congregations will hold special services on April 30, 2023, to mark the end of the combination. St. Mark’s service will be at 10:00 AM, and St. Ambrose service will be at 11:30 AM. All are invited to attend and celebrate the legacy of the combination. The end of the St. Mark – St. Ambrose combination marks the end of an era for both congregations. While they will no longer share a building, they will continue to be connected by the many memories and relationships they have built over the years.The St. Mark – St. Ambrose combination ends this month. The two parishes have been sharing a pastor since 2016, but that arrangement will end on June 30th. St. Mark’s will then become a separate parish again, and St. Ambrose will continue to be served by its current pastor. The decision to end the combination was made by the Archdiocese of Chicago. The archdiocese has been studying the needs of the parishes in the area and determined that it would be better for each parish to have its own pastor. The pastor of St. Mark’s, Fr. John Canary, said that he is sad to see the combination end, but he understands the archdiocese’s decision. He said that St. Mark’s is a strong parish with a bright future. The pastor of St. Ambrose, Fr. Michael Boland, said that he is also sad to see the combination end, but he is confident that both parishes will continue to thrive. He said that St. Ambrose is a welcoming parish with a deep commitment to service. The parishioners of both parishes are invited to attend a Mass of Thanksgiving on June 30th at St. Mark’s Church. The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Blase Cupich.