The Final Goodbye: Our Lady of Good Counsel Church will hold it’s final Mass on April 30th

Our Lady of Good Counsel Church was a place where people would come together to pray and find community. The Church served generations of families from the McKinley Park Neighborhood. In addition to spiritual services, the Church served as a hub for many community events. A vital service, as it provided a forum for discussion and debate on issues important to the community.

For many families, Our Lady of Good Counsel Church is the center of their lives. They are baptized in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, married in the Church and funerals are in the Church. For generations, families have been coming to Our Lady of Good Counsel Church to celebrate important milestones and to seek comfort in times of loss. Our Lady of Good Counsel Church is a place where families can come together to pray, to sing and to worship. It is a place where they can feel close to God and to each other. Our Lady of Good Counsel Church is a special place for families, and it will always be a part of their lives.

John H. Sullivan and Thomas D. Sullivan were both McKinley Park residents who helped build the Church & school on the 2nd floor in 1902. Years later in 1947 after WWII, Thomas D. Sullivan’s son Thomas Sullivan would marry his sweetheart, Virginia Tomasewski who lived behind Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Their children would also get married at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.

OLGC offered good community services and events

There were many good organizations benefiting the entire McKinley Park community run out of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The OLGC Altar & Rosary Society, was one of them. The Women’s Gild was also a popular organization. They ran popular events such as Bingo Night and a yearly carnival. The carnival was always a hit, with food, a beer garden, kids’ amusement rides, and bands. The community loved getting together, especially for beer and live music. The kids loved the rides and the bands always brought everyone together. Year after year.

The second floor of the church served as a grammar in early 1900’s until the 1960’s when OLGC school with grades 1-8 school was build next door. The 2nd floor was then used for community recreational activities.

McKinley Park resident Jim Kozy volunteered and then ran the popular Teen Center program from 1987 to 2018 from the 2nd floor of the Church. Thousands of teens from the community participated in the program, which was designed to provide a safe and fun environment for young people. The program offered a variety of activities, including, arts and crafts, and music. In addition, the Teen Center provided a place for teens to socialize and meet new friends.