New merged parish on NW Side to be named St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

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by BRIAN NADIG

The name of the newly formed parish and school from the merger of Saint Tarcissus, Saint Cornelius and Saint Thecla parishes is Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity.

“The decision of a new parish name marks the first step in building a new and vibrant culture of community and identity as Disciples of Christ,” said the Reverend Jason Malave, who serves as Cardinal Blase Cupich’s delegate for the “Renew My Church” consolidation process.

The name was announced last weekend at Mass for the three Northwest Side parishes. Cupich chose the name after receiving input from parishioners, whose other recommendations included Christ the Teacher, Early Christian Martyrs and Our Lady of Good Help.

The parishes are being consolidated into one location, the current home of Saint Tarcissus at 6020 W. Ardmore Ave., and beginning July 1 the Saint Tarcissus campus and church will be referred to as Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity in all parish materials.

In addition, the Pope Francis Global Academy North Campus, which is housed in the former Saint Tarcissus School, will be renamed the Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity School. An open house will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, at the school, 6040 W. Ardmore Ave.

Born in France in 1880, Elizabeth Catez, died from Addison’s disease, a disorder which affects the adrenal glands, at the age of 26 while serving as a nun in the Discalced Carmelite Order. She was canonized as in 2016 and serves as the patron of sick people, loss of parents and against illness.

Saint Tarcissus pastor Mike Grisolano, who this summer will become the pastor of the consolidated parish, said that her spiritually is illustrated by the following statement she gave toward the end of her life: “I think that in heaven my mission will be to draw souls by helping them to go out of themselves in order to cling to God by a wholly simple and living movement.”

Grisolano said that the name also reflects how three groups are uniting to form one parish, as “trinity” refers to God as three divine persons, “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” he said. Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity also is the name of a consolidated parish in Connecticut.

Currently plans are being made to form a unification committee that will consist of about six members from each the three parishes. The committee’s responsibilities will include sponsoring events in which members of all three parishes will participate, Grisolano said.

In addition, a search has begun for the principal of the Saint Elizabeth School, and efforts are continuing to create more parking near Saint Tarcissus, Grisolano said. One option includes the possibility of diagonal parking on Moody Avenue near the church and school.

This year several other area parishes will be going through the consolidation process, including Our Lady of the Victory, Saint Pascal, Saint Robert Bellarmine and Saint Constance parishes.

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