Overview

With a solid foundation in faith and the desire for generous service to others, the Ignatian Mission Center strives to provide physical, mental and spiritual nourishment to our community.  

What is the Ignatian Mission Center?  

Our center is rooted in long-standing traditions and beliefs of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order, known for his charitable work and education. The Ignatian Mission Center’s resources, such as our community food pantry, will continue to grow as our center works to fulfill Rogers Park, West Ridge and Edgewater’s ever-changing needs. Our services are available to individuals and families regardless of religion or background.

• The Ignatian Mission Center is an independent, volunteer-based, nonprofit entity that partners with organizations to support the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of individuals and families.  

• The IMC is not officially a Catholic organization, but is seeking to be recognized by the Archdiocese of Chicago as one that is guided by laypeople—that is, by ordinary Catholics. We partner with faith-based organizations to assist those in need in the community but do not discriminate in our social services.  

• We are united with a common purpose through Ignatian values and dedicated to serving our community.  

• While the mission center has faith-based values, it is not a church congregation or Catholic parish. We provide spiritual and physical nourishment for the diverse populations of Rogers Park, Edgewater and surrounding communities,

• The Ignatian Mission Center is known for its food pantry, but there are plans to expand services for community members. We envision various types of social services made accessible to those who rely on public transportation.  

• The Ignatian Mission Center will also expand on volunteer opportunities for members of the community to engage in service for their neighbors in need.

• Some of the services the Ignatian Mission Center is focusing on include counseling, legal aid and basic medical care. These services will be provided through partnerships with other social service organizations to show compassion and provide opportunities for service.  

Area parishes have a long history of service to the community and vibrant spiritual and cultural life. In recent years, community service has included a food pantry at St. Ignatius, a free meals program at St. Jerome and a variety of programs geared toward older residents at St. Gertrude. All three churches have had religious education programs for youth, with St. Ignatius and now St. Jerome’s youth education assisted by Jesuit scholastics, as well as adult faith formation programs. The mission center could integrate some existing programs as needed, and also facilitate and create new Catholic faith and corporal outreach for the whole community.

Former Ignatius parishioners and members of St. Gertrude and St. Jerome now are attempting to bring these proposals into focus, as recommended in the area’s Renew My Church decisions. The possible programs and services are grouped into two basic categories: spiritual and corporal works. These are listed on a separate page.

Basic operations

The mission center has a nonprofit board to develop a reasonable set of program offerings that could be fostered and sustained throughout the year in light of the needs or suggestions that have been observed by the parishes and affiliated groups. We also are preparing to do community surveys on social service needs to help us see what people in the Rogers Park-Edgewater community at large and the parishes believe to be the most pressing needs.

A group working with the Rogers Park-Edgewater parishes, including board members from the parishes but operating independently, is most suitable to run the mission center. Under church law, this would be known as a lay association of the Christian faithful, also commonly known as a Catholic lay association. Lay associations approved by the bishop of a diocese are allowed to raise funds through Church apparatus for apostolic (religious retreats, classes on Catholic spirituality) and charitable purposes, as well as being allowed to own consecrated churches. The exact canonical structure of the eventual organization hasn’t been determined, but we have submitted proposed statutes for approval by church authorities.

Financing

We have a dedicated core of longtime St. Ignatius parishioners who have funded various projects at the parish over the years. Many of them are helping to make the mission center a reality. The food pantry has had more than 60 consistent donors who provided funding for its operations, as well as longtime funding relationships with local companies, including S & C Electric, as well as the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

If the lay association were to buy the property, we would aim to partner with a developer to help buy the property and redevelop a parking lot on Arthur Avenue or seek partners interested in working with us to renovate or repurpose the buildings. We would seek to lease various parts of the property to other nonprofits that we would integrate with the mission center. (See programming and partnership section for specifics.) As we raise funds to purchase the property, we would seek seed money for dedicated endowments and would seek major donors to grow the endowments.

Conclusion

Pope Francis in his reflection, “Let Us Dream” says that now is the time to act. “But if the Church has a particular role to play at times of crisis, it is precisely to remind people of its soul, of its need to respect the common good. This is what Jesus did: He came to strengthen and deepen the bonds of belonging–of people to God and each other. That is why the one who matters most in the Kingdom of God is whoever makes themselves least, serving others and especially the poor.”

The mission center seeks to serve others and be a concrete demonstration of the Church doing good in the world through particular focused programming. The center will be a collaborative undertaking demonstrating in particular ways the service to faith and the promotion of justice.