Perched on a hilltop in Lemont, Illinois, that its founders named Jasna Gora, the Polish name for Bright Hill, SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish has served Polish-American Catholics and their neighbors since the first Mass was celebrated there on Palm Sunday in 1884. The parish remains bilingual to this day, with Masses offered in both English and Polish each weekend, and it is one of the larger Catholic communities in southwest suburban Chicago. Around 2,400 registered families now call St. Cyril's their spiritual home, and the parish grounds include a working church, a kindergarten through eighth grade school, a cemetery, and a chapel devoted to perpetual adoration.

A Parish Founded by Polish Immigrants

The Polish community that became SS. Cyril & Methodius was organized in 1882, when Archbishop Patrick Augustine Feehan of Chicago commissioned Father Leopold Bonaventura Maria Moczygemba, then pastor of St. Alphonsus Church in Lemont, to create a new parish for the area's growing Polish population. Father Moczygemba selected a ten-acre tract owned by Patrick and Mrs. Murray, purchased for $2,000, and dedicated the land to Our Lady of Czestochowa, patroness of his native Poland. The neighborhood that grew up around the church took the name Jasna Gora Subdivision.

Parishioners agreed in June 1883 to build a church and school together. The cornerstone was laid on August 12, 1883, by Monsignor Patrick J. Conway, Vicar General of the Archdiocese, and the frame church on a Lemont limestone foundation was completed by April 1884. Father Moczygemba offered the first Mass on Palm Sunday, April 6, 1884, and Archbishop Feehan blessed the finished church and school on August 31, 1884. The original building measured 119 by 56 feet and seated 775 people.

Fire struck twice in the parish's early decades. In March 1898 a blaze from a neighboring store destroyed the frame school, which was rebuilt in Lemont limestone during the pastorate of Father Candid Kozlowski. On Ash Wednesday, February 22, 1928, both the church and rectory burned to the ground. While the parish rebuilt, St. Patrick's of Lemont opened its doors to the displaced congregation, and a local resident offered her home to the homeless pastor, Father Henry Jagodzinski. The current church rose from those ashes: the Milwaukee architectural firm of E. Brielmaier and Sons drew the plans, a $177,000 construction contract was signed on October 28, 1928, the cornerstone was laid on April 21, 1929, and the first Mass in the new building was celebrated at 5:00 a.m. on January 1, 1930. The mortgage was burned in an impressive ceremony on February 10, 1952.

Generations of Growth

The Felician Sisters served SS. Cyril & Methodius from its founding in 1884 until 1992, teaching generations of children and shaping parish life. A new brick school with a gymnasium was built in 1960, dedicated by Archbishop Albert Cardinal Meyer, and a 1997 addition expanded classrooms, offices, a library, a computer lab, and meeting space. The parish gymnasium was named the Father Gilewski Center in 1989, and a computer lab was dedicated to Father Richard Jozwiak. In 2006 the stretch of Sobieski Street running between the church and school was named Honorary Pope John Paul II Way. A redesigned grotto on Ledochowski Street, featuring a statue of Pope John Paul II carved by Polish artist Andrzej Urbanczyk with the apostolic motto Totus Tuus, was blessed by Cardinal George in 2008. The 2009 jubilee marked 125 years of parish life, and on August 16 of that year Bishop Thomas Paprocki celebrated a single outdoor bilingual Mass that united the parish family in one place and one liturgy.

Pastors who shaped the modern parish include Father Jagodzinski, who guided the construction of the current church; Father Ladislaus J. Nosal, who initiated the stained-glass windows that remain a signature feature of the sanctuary; Father Vincent Sekulski, who began the school building fund; Father Julius Gilewski, who oversaw the 1960 school and gymnasium; Father Richard Jozwiak, who started the Helping Hands food pantry and introduced a regular Polish Mass; Father Victor Sivore, who guided the parish from 1992 until his death in 2001; and Father Lawrence Lisowski, who led the 2002 Sharing Christ's Gifts campaign and the 2009 jubilee.

Mass Schedule: English and Polish Side by Side

Each Sunday, Mass is celebrated seven times at SS. Cyril & Methodius, with three of those Masses in English and three in Polish, plus a quiet English evening Mass without music:

• Saturday Vigil: 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM
• Sunday: 7:00 AM (English, no music), 8:00 AM (Polish), 9:30 AM (English), 11:00 AM (Polish), 12:30 PM (English), 2:00 PM (Polish), 7:30 PM (English, no music)

Weekday Mass is celebrated at 7:00 AM Monday through Friday. Tuesdays add a 7:45 PM Polish Mass preceded by devotions at 7:00 PM. First Fridays bring an additional 7:00 PM Polish Mass, and First Saturdays add a 9:00 PM Polish Mass with devotions at 7:00 PM. Reconciliation is heard Saturdays from 4:00 to 4:30 PM, on First Fridays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, and by appointment through the rectory at 630-257-2776.

The parish also hosts Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in a chapel inside the Parish Life Building, with hours covered continuously day and night. First Friday and First Saturday devotions, along with Fatima devotions on the 13th of each month from May through October, draw worshippers who join in rosary, Mass, adoration, and a candlelight procession.

Mass intentions may be requested through a form available on the parish site, returned by mail, email, or fax. Masses are livestreamed on YouTube through the parish channel.

The Sacraments

The parish prepares parishioners for all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms are celebrated on the first and third Sundays of each month for registered active parishioners; first-time parents are asked to attend a pre-baptismal class, and one of the two sponsors must be a practicing Catholic. First Reconciliation and First Communion are typically received in second grade, and Confirmation follows a two-year preparation. Marriage preparation begins by contacting the parish office to book a date; weddings are most often held on Saturdays at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, or 3:00 PM. Each engaged couple completes a PreCana course, and a FOCCUS pre-marriage inventory is issued when the parish priest will be presiding. Two witness affidavits are required for both bride and groom. The Anointing of the Sick is offered weekly following the Monday 7:00 AM Mass, with appointments available through the rectory for those unable to attend. Adults interested in joining the Catholic Church are invited into the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), a period of inquiry that begins each fall with no firm commitment required; separate RCIA tracks exist for children and teens.

Music Ministry

Music is woven into nearly every liturgy at SS. Cyril & Methodius, and the parish maintains an unusually broad roster of choirs and ensembles. Music Director Miroslawa Sojka-Topor, who has served since 2009, holds a Bachelor of Music from Roosevelt University and a Master of Music in vocal performance from DePaul University and directs the program alongside the parish's Polish organist, Casey Szwab. Adults over 18 who serve in the music ministry, except for the Resurrection Choir, are required to comply with the Archdiocese of Chicago's standards for working with children, including a background check and the Protecting God's Children workshop.

The parish hosts six choral groups:

• Celestial Choir sings weekly for the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass and rehearses Thursdays from 6:15 to 7:30 PM (September through May). The choir was invited to sing the national anthem at a 2014 Chicago White Sox game.
• Polish Choir sings weekly for the 8:30 AM Sunday Mass and rehearses Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM.
• Youth Choir, open to students from third through twelfth grade, sings twice a month at Mass and rehearses forty-five minutes before each liturgy.
• Polish Children's Choir, open to children able to sing in Polish, rehearses Tuesdays from 6:00 to 6:45 PM and sings every second and fourth Sunday of the month.
• Resurrection Choir, for adults available during the day, sings at funerals as requested.
• Cantors lead congregational singing and rehearse twice a month on Thursdays.

The parish also welcomes substitute pianists and organists and instrumentalists who play brass, woodwinds, or strings, with flexible scheduling. Wedding couples meet with the Music Director one to two months before their ceremony to choose music that suits the liturgy, and a separate track is offered for Polish weddings coordinated through Casey Szwab. A range of wedding music samples, including Ave Maria, Bridal Prayer, and One Hand, One Heart, is available for listening online.

Religious Education, Youth, and the Parish School

SS. Cyril & Methodius School provides Catholic education from kindergarten through eighth grade, with daily religious instruction, weekly school Masses, sacramental preparation, classroom service projects, and faith-partner activities supporting spiritual growth. The school holds an advanced academic curriculum that includes computer and science labs and a multimedia learning resource center. Extracurricular offerings include band, chess, First Lego League, talent show, school musical, and a strong athletic program with basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, and football. The basketball program began in the 1960s with three teams (the Angels, the Saints, and the Comets) and continues today, with the Emil Domagalski tournament as its annual highlight. Principal Daniel P. Turney, who holds degrees from Marquette University and the American College of Education and has served Most Holy Redeemer School in Evergreen Park as well as Mother McAuley and St. Laurence High Schools, joined the parish school from Catholic leadership roles across the Archdiocese of Chicago.

The Religious Education program reaches more than 600 students through 44 catechists and 60 support staff, with classes that include preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. Monika Leja serves as Religious Education Administrator. The Lemont Youth Ministry, a tri-parish effort that includes SS. Cyril & Methodius, St. Alphonsus, St. Patrick, and St. James, generally meets on the third Sunday of the month at St. Patrick Church in Lemont, and has organized Thanksgiving and Christmas service projects, the March for Life in Washington, Holy Week missions, and a summer mission trip.

Organizations and Outreach

The parish is home to a striking number of lay organizations that reflect its Polish roots and its long history of volunteer service.

• Helping Hands, founded more than thirty years ago, distributes non-perishable food to current and former parishioners and Lemont-area families in need. Collections are taken up the first weekend of each month, and four rotating teams make deliveries on the third Sunday. Cash contributions are used for Manna certificates and, when funds allow, to help with rent, utility bills, medical bills, and real estate taxes.
• The Polish Club of Lemont, founded in 1979 and now numbering 135 members, supports the John Paul II Polish School, sustains Polish culture and dance, and helps new Polish immigrants assimilate. The club meets on the first Sunday of each month at 9:30 AM in Sivore Hall in the school.
• The Holy Name Men's Club, affiliated with the Archdiocese of Chicago Holy Name Societies, gathers on the second Sunday of January, March, May, September, and November following the 7:00 AM Mass for a shared breakfast and spiritual reflection. Annual dues are $5.
• The Altar & Rosary Society, active since the 1920s, holds four meetings each year with a recitation of the rosary before Mass and welcomes all women of the parish.
• Ministry of Care brings Communion to homebound parishioners each Sunday and visits those in local hospitals and nursing homes during the week, with teams that serve English-speaking and Polish-speaking families alike.
• Tri-Parish Pro-Life Ministry, in cooperation with the other Lemont parishes, has organized 40 Days for Life, an October prayer vigil, a Pro-Life Procession led by the Knights of Columbus, and the Baby Bottle Project supporting the Women's Centers of Greater Chicagoland.
• Respect Life keeps parishioners informed of pro-life issues through Archdiocesan workshops and speaker events.

Additional councils and committees include the Parish Council (nine members meeting the third Monday of each month except July), the Finance Committee (meeting the third Tuesday of each month), the Board of Specified Jurisdiction for the school, the Mothers' Club, the Athletic Commission, and committees that organize the parish block party, golf outing, and Tree of Love.

The Cemetery and the Sharing Parish

SS. Cyril & Methodius Cemetery, located on State Street with a gate plaque dated A.D. 1886, has been the resting place of generations of parishioners, priests, and sisters, with nearly 2,900 burials recorded as of 2009. The first burial is thought to have taken place on April 1, 1887. The parish also maintains the Our Lady of Grace Marian shrine on Ledochowski Street, first built by volunteers in 1968 and redesigned in 2008 with the addition of the Pope John Paul II statue and a stone cut into the shape of the map of Poland.

Begun in 2009 by Father Valdi, the parish's Sharing Parish relationship with St. Michael the Archangel Parish in the Diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico, supports a farmers' cooperative that roasts, grinds, and packages coffee to free local growers from predatory middlemen. Father Carmelo Cortez, a Chicago Archdiocesan priest serving in Mexico, works with local parish leaders to develop the program.

A New Parish Center for the Future

To support its growing ministries and bring staff under one roof, the parish is moving forward with a new parish center on the campus. The campaign, called Forward in Faith, is built on five principles and has already enlisted more than twenty parishioner leaders to guide planning. The planned facility includes a 100-seat chapel to host daily Mass and devotions, multi-purpose rooms for parish and school gatherings, a unified office center, accessible washrooms connected to the existing church, and basement storage for parish and school equipment. The project is part of the broader To Teach Who Christ Is campaign of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Pastoral Leadership

The pastor of SS. Cyril & Methodius is Rev. Waldemar Stawiarski, known to parishioners as Fr. Valdi. Born and raised in Libusza, Poland, he studied at the Seminary of the Diocese of Rzeszow before coming to Chicago at twenty-two. After ordination in May 2003, he served as associate pastor at St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr in Tinley Park, then became the youngest pastor in the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2008 when he was called to lead St. Helen Church on Chicago's West Side, preparing it for its centennial. He took a six-month sabbatical in Bolivia in 2012 to study Spanish and was appointed pastor of SS. Cyril & Methodius in March 2013. He has served as a representative of his generation of priests at the Archdiocesan Placement Board.

The parish's mission statement reads: We are a family of faith, entrusted with the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Rooted in a rich tradition of worship, service and prayer, we foster the unity and faith of this community. Enlivened by the Spirit, we share our gifts, talents and resources to bring about the Kingdom of God.

Visiting and Joining

The parish welcomes visitors at 608 Sobieski Street in Lemont, just southwest of Chicago. The main phone line is 630-257-2776, and inquiries about weddings, registrations, and general parish business can be sent to secretary@stcyril.org. English and Polish registration forms are available online, as are forms for Mass intentions and adoration hours. Online giving is handled through GiveCentral, and the parish can be followed on Facebook and YouTube. Worshippers are invited to share in a parish that, since 1884, has gathered Polish-Americans and their neighbors around the Eucharist at the top of Blue Hill.