Name/Title
St. Bernard ChurchEntry/Object ID
EW.0057Description
St. Bernard Church located near South Harvard Avenue and West 66th Street in Englewood, Chicago. Originally know as The Lyceum, this building was constructed in 1935 as an addition to St. Bernard. Over the years it served as a gym, auditorium, performance hall and later the church itself. In the late 1980s, St. Bernard merged with four other parishes and became St. Benedict the African.
In 1892, IBVM Sisters established an education ministry at St. Bernard Grammar School in Englewood. The following year, Loretto Academy (later Loretto High School) opened as the second Catholic high school in Chicago. In 1962, Loretto High School closed and was merged with Loretto Academy Woodlawn. Five years later, the building and neighboring IBVM Convent were sold to the Chicago Board of Education. St. Bernard Grammar School continued operating until closing in the late 1980s.Context
Born in 1585 in North Yorkshire, England, Mary Ward founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1609. Focused on education, the sisters developed their ministry despite significant political, spiritual and material challenges. In 1880, the Canadian Mission of the IBVM established a presence in Illinois, and the following year, the IBVM North American Branch was created. In 1892, their ministry expanded into Chicago, and by 1896, the sisters had opened a school in Michigan. Over the following decades, further growth resulted in ministries in California and Arizona, both of which began in 1949. In the 21st Century, the IBVM and its companions are active in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, California and Arizona.Lexicon
Search Terms
Religion, Religious Organizations, Sisters of Loretto, Photos, Photographs, Pictures, Historic Sites, Black History, African American ExperienceReproductions
Notes
Please contact the IBVM Archives (archives@ibvm.us) for further information or materials requests.