Saints Cyril and Methodius Church (Chicago)

Church in Chicago, Illinois

Saints Cyril and Methodius Church

Saints Cyril and Methodius Bohemian Roman Catholic Church

Svatý Cyrila a Metoděje Český Římskokatolický Kostel

A view of Sts. Cyril and Methodius's front facade. Photo taken in 1913.

Location| 5009 South Hermitage Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60609
Denomination| Roman Catholic
Membership| 150 families (1990)
Weekly attendance| ~100 each weekend (1990)
History
Status| Permanently closed
Founded| 1891
Founder(s)| Bohemian immigrants
Dedication| Saints Cyril and Methodius
Dedicated| ~1913
Associated people| Reverend Charles J. Kouba (pastor from 1971 to 1990)
Architecture
Architect(s)| Joseph Molitor
Architectural type| Church
Style| Renaissance Revival
Completed| 1913
Closed| Saturday, June 30, 1990
Specifications
Number of towers| 1
Materials| Stone and Marble
Administration
Province| Ecclesiastical Province of Chicago
Archdiocese| Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
Diocese| Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicago
Parish| Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish

41°48′10″N 87°40′06″W﻿ / ﻿41.8029°N 87.66829°W﻿ / 41.8029; -87.66829Saints Cyril and Methodius Church (Czech: Kostel Svatých Cyrila a Metoděje) was a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. It was located in Chicago, Illinois at 5009 South Hermitage Avenue. Built in 1913, Sts. Cyril and Methodius served a Bohemian congregation for decades until archdiocesan budget cuts in 1990 led to the church being closed.

## History[edit]

A view of Sts. Cyril and Methodius from across the street.

### Founding[edit]

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church was built in 1913 in order to serve a Bohemian congregation.[1][2]

### Decline[edit]

When Reverend Charles J. Kouba arrived at Sts. Cyril and Methodius in 1971 as its new pastor, the parish consisted of 900 families, and five masses were offered on weekends. By 1990, the parish had been reduced to 150 families, and the weekend masses, which were condensed into only two services, saw an average of about 100 attendees. During the week of January 14–20 in 1990, the congregation contributed only $543 to the collection basket, which was barely enough to pay the church building's $2,000 monthly utility bills.[2][3]

#### Closure[edit]

In 1990, the Archdiocese of Chicago closed multiple parishes as part of a controversial budget cut that attempted to reduce the archdiocesan debt. During a meeting on Saturday, January 20, 1990, Reverend Kouba, long-time parish pastor for almost 19 years, told a group of 35 parishioners that the church would close on June 30 of the same year.[4] After the church closed, Kouba became an associate pastor at the nearby St. Joseph Church, which, along with Holy Cross, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and Saint Michael Archangel, is and remains one of the four churches in the neighborhood.[3]

## Architecture[edit]

The architect Joseph Molitor, himself a Bohemian-born American, designed Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the Renaissance Revival style. The building was originally constructed in 1913,[1] and the church grounds included a convent.[5] Due to the changes ushered in by the Second Vatican Council, the interior of the church building saw several renovations and a simpler design. Marlite (plastic wall paneling made to resemble marble in appearance) was used to simplify the walls, though the building retained its original stained glass windows, which were created by the Munich Studio in Chicago.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c Kerch, Steve. "THE SPIRIT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
2. ^ a b Peterson, Bill (1990-01-26). "AMERICAN JOURNAL". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
3. ^ a b "Archdiocesan Priest, Rev. Charles J. Kouba, Dies". Archdiocese of Chicago. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
4. ^ report, Michael Hirsley and Dahleen Glanton Peter Kendall, Patricia Szymczak and John Fountain also contributed to this. "CLOSINGS SHROUD MASSES WITH SORROW". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-08-07.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. ^ "Thank you for your service". Chicago Catholic. Retrieved 2020-08-07.