In Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, two historic Catholic churches stand just a few blocks apart - one on Orleans Street and the other on North Park Avenue. Together they form Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph Parish, a "Family of Families" that has been rebuilding itself since the two parishes were canonically united in 2016. Both churches predate the Great Chicago Fire. Both have been knocked down, rebuilt, modernized, and reinvented over more than 160 years. Today they share one pastor, one staff, one parish school, and a remarkably wide network of ministries that stretches from a Sunday Mass at the altar to the front door of a newly arrived refugee family.
ICSJ Parish is led by Father Lawrence Lisowski, a Chicago-born priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago who has served the combined parish since 2014. He is assisted by Senior Priest Father Larry McBrady, ordained in 1971, and Deacon Neil Rogers, a permanent deacon who joined the staff in 2022. Together with a full parish and school staff, they describe the parish's vision simply: "Inspired by God's great love, we are called to be the face of Jesus in today's world, welcoming all to our Family of Families, and walking as disciples through our works of compassion and mercy."
Two Churches, One Parish in Old Town
ICSJ Parish operates out of two worship sites. St. Joseph Church, at 1107 N. Orleans Street, is the main parish church and houses the parish office. Immaculate Conception Church, at 1431 N. North Park Avenue, hosts the parish's chapel and serves as the North Park office. Both facilities are handicap accessible, and free parking is available at both - in the lot at 363 W. Hill Street for St. Joseph, and in the Immaculate Conception lot next to the church.
The parish office is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and closed on Thursday. The North Park office at Immaculate Conception is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Both offices can be reached at 312-787-7174.
In 2015 the two parishes entered the Archdiocese's Parish Transformation Program, which led the following year to the official canonical combination of Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph into the single parish they are today. The merger assured the long-term viability of both historic worship sites and allowed the parishes to focus together on ministry, formation, and outreach. Both churches continue to be active centers of worship, and most weddings and many funerals are celebrated at St. Joseph Church.
A History Carved by Fire and Rebuilding
The history of the parish is the history of two of Chicago's oldest Catholic communities.
St. Joseph Parish was established in 1846, the same year as Old St. Patrick's. Its original 30-by-90-foot church stood at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Cass Street, now Rush Street. As the parish grew, a larger basilica-style church was built in 1862 - a structure that, in the words of contemporaries, "surpassed in size and beauty all the churches in the State of Illinois." Nine years later, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed it.
A small frame church was erected on the same site, then rolled north on logs to Market Street (now Orleans) and Hill Street, where the present church stands. The largely German parishioners had begun relocating northward, and the church followed them. The cornerstone for the current Gothic church was laid in 1876 and the building was completed in 1878 - a structure considered by architects to be "one of the most symmetrically proportioned churches in the country." The exterior was modernized in 1956, the steeple was lost to a storm in 1986 and could not be replaced, and a major 2007 renovation restored the interior in preparation for the new neighbors pouring into the rapidly developing Near North Side.
For most of the 20th century, St. Joseph was served by the Benedictine priests of St. Bede Abbey in Peru, Illinois. The last Benedictine pastor, Father Sebastian Lewis, OSB, retired in 2001, after which St. Joseph became an Archdiocesan parish.
Immaculate Conception Church was established in 1859 as the first English-speaking Catholic parish in the area, serving a population that was at first largely Irish. Bishop Foley laid the cornerstone of a new brick church on August 9, 1874, three years after the Great Fire had burned down the original church, convent, and school. The new building, completed four years later at a cost of seven thousand dollars, featured bold straight lines, a dignified chapel, a three-story school, and a steeple topped by a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The most sorrowful chapter in Immaculate Conception's history came in 1957. A routine inspection of the church, in the aftermath of the Our Lady of Angels School fire that killed 98 people, found that the roof was on the verge of collapse. Archbishop Albert E. Meyer ordered the church torn down. Many items from the building were moved into the lower-level auditorium of the adjoining school complex, which was pressed into service as a chapel. That chapel, with its austerity and the lightning-struck statue of the Virgin Mary in the foyer, remains Immaculate Conception's worship space today.
Cardinal Francis George, who envisioned a viable future for St. Joseph parish, transferred its canonical responsibility and pastoral leadership to Father Pat Lee in 2014, uniting the two parishes under one pastoral staff while they remained canonically independent. The 2016 canonical merger completed the union.
Masses at Both Worship Sites
Weekly Mass is celebrated at both churches. On Saturday evening, Mass is offered at 5:00 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. Sunday Masses are at 8:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Church, 9:30 a.m. at Immaculate Conception, and 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph. Daily Mass is offered at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at St. Joseph Church.
The parish identifies itself as a place where worship is dynamic, with engaging homilies and beautiful music. Coffee and Donuts are hosted after the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Joseph, where newcomers can meet the priests and parishioners. School families gather throughout the year for Family Masses, often celebrated at the 11:00 a.m. Mass, with students serving as greeters, lectors, ushers, and choir members.
Reconciliation is offered by appointment. To make arrangements, parishioners are asked to email Father Larry directly. The Sacrament of the Sick is celebrated annually at a Mass of Anointing, and homebound parishioners who are visited weekly by a Minister of Care receive the sacrament at least once a year.
Music as Prayer
Music at ICSJ is led by Director of Music Liam Marchant, a multi-instrumentalist from Boise, Idaho, who grew up playing at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and moved to Chicago to earn a master's degree in music composition at DePaul. Drawing from the breadth of sacred music - from the richness of traditional Catholic hymns to the vitality of contemporary worship - the parish's music ministry aims to honor the Church's tradition while lifting voices forward in faith.
The program is built around three intentions: Intention, Prayer, and Rest. Music is not a simple motion but prayer; the disciplined attention of musicianship becomes devotion; and before every sound there is silence in which God's presence is recognized as abundant, active, and alive. The music ministry closes its description with the line, "Since Love is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?"
Musicians and singers of all levels are welcome. Choirs and ensembles serve each weekend Mass at both churches, with rehearsals held 30 minutes before each liturgy. The Saturday 5 p.m. Mass at Immaculate Conception rehearses at 4:30 p.m.; the Sunday 8 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph rehearses at 7:30 a.m.; the Sunday 9:30 a.m. Mass at Immaculate Conception rehearses at 9:00 a.m.; and the Sunday 11 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph rehearses at 9:30 a.m. Singers and instrumentalists can contact Liam Marchant to join.
Liturgical Ministries: Serving at the Altar
Liturgical Ministry at ICSJ is built on the conviction, drawn from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, that the priest is not the only person called to participate in the Mass - all Catholics are called by their baptism to take an active part. The parish trains and schedules a wide range of liturgical ministers.
Sunday Sacristans prepare vessels and ensure all ministers are in place before and after Mass. Lectors proclaim the Word of God and offer the Prayers of the Faithful when a deacon is not present. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist during Mass, typically serving one or two Sundays a month. Ushers and Greeters are the first faces visitors see, hand out worship aids, and help direct guests to open pews. Altar Servers, drawn from students in 5th grade through high school, assist the priest at school and parish Masses.
The parish also welcomes Church Decorators to help prepare the worship spaces for Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, and trains Wedding Sacristans to assist with wedding rehearsals and the day-of coordination. Liturgical ministers are scheduled through Ministry Scheduler Pro, which can be accessed online or via mobile app. Schedules are released three months at a time, and ministers can update their preferences and request substitutes directly in the system.
ICSJ School: PreK Through 8th Grade
Immaculate Conception - St. Joseph School sits at the heart of the parish, a Catholic school serving Preschool through 8th grade students from 28 different Chicago zip codes. The school operates across two campuses a block apart in Old Town. The 1431 N. North Park Campus houses the PreK through 3rd grade classrooms and the Little Dolphins Tot Program, while the 363 W. Hill Street Campus serves students in 4th through 8th grade.
The school is led by Co-Principals Katie Sullivan and Margaret Faller. Sullivan is a career Catholic educator who opened the school's first PreK classroom and has served as principal in the Archdiocese of Chicago since 1998, joining the Immaculate Conception community in 2002 when the school reopened. Faller, who began her career teaching first grade and joined ICSJ in 2019, earned her bachelor's degree at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame and master's degrees in Elementary Education and Curriculum Studies and Leadership at DePaul University. She became Co-Principal in July 2024.
Test scores rank among the top 15 percent nationwide, and 95 percent of ICSJ graduates are admitted to their top-choice high schools, where many go on to serve as student leaders. The school's signature co-teaching model places two certified teachers in each PreK through 3rd grade classroom, allowing for differentiated instruction from an early age. Art, music, STEM, Physical Education, and Spanish classes are part of every week. A Student Support Team of five learning specialists, two counselors, and a school nurse works with teachers to ensure each child gets what they need.
Family engagement is a defining feature of ICSJ School. According to the most recent 5-Essentials survey, ICSJ has the highest family engagement of any elementary school in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Monthly Family Masses, hosted by teachers, Family Faith coordinators, and parish staff, unite school and parish families in worship, with after-Mass coffee and donuts in the Parish Center.
Religious education does not stop at the school doors. ICSJ Parish continues its partnership with neighboring St. Michael Parish to provide Children's Religious Education through Old Town Parishes Religious Education at St. Michael, with a Family Faith Formation model that combines in-class and at-home learning. First Reconciliation is prepared for and received in 2nd grade, First Communion in 2nd grade, and Confirmation in 7th and 8th grades, with 15 service hours and a Confirmation retreat as part of the preparation.
Refugee Ministry: Welcoming the Stranger
ICSJ Parish runs one of the more active refugee resettlement efforts among Chicago parishes. The Refugee Ministry, led by the parish in collaboration with Catholic Charities, Exodus World Service, and RefugeeOne, has welcomed ten refugee families since 2017 and continues to maintain long-term friendships with seven of them.
Volunteers serve through Exodus World Service's Heidi's House, a community center dedicated to welcoming and supporting refugee families, by helping with homework and activities at Kids Club on Tuesday afternoons, by joining adult English conversation groups, and by becoming "New Neighbors" who visit a newly arrived family weekly for three months. Parishioners can also create and deliver Home Care Packages through Exodus World Service, become prayer partners who receive a weekly prayer email, or support the parish's own refugee resettlement fund.
RefugeeOne, the parish's co-sponsorship partner, serves more than 2,500 refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants each year through housing support, English language training, mental health care, employment coaching, youth programs, and dental care. Donations to the ICSJ Refugee Ministry Fund help co-sponsor the resettlement of new families and support the ongoing work with existing ones.
Migrant Ministry and City of Welcome
The Migrant Ministry focuses on supporting recent arrivals to Chicago who are seeking safety, stability, and opportunity. The ministry partners with organizations across the city - the Church of the Ascension's free store on Wednesdays, Chicago Furniture Bank, Pilsen Food Pantry, Project Education Plus, Erie Neighborhood House, Jesuit Refugee Service, and others - connecting volunteers and donors to a network of direct service opportunities.
The parish's resource page features a Know Your Rights guide in English and Spanish, a Rosary for Vulnerable Migrant Populations, and links to Pope Leo XIV's first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, and Pope Francis's 2025 letter to the U.S. bishops on migration. The parish has helped organize court accompaniment through JRS/USA and encourages volunteers to consider standing with migrants in immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins.
ICSJ co-organizes City of Welcome: Catholic Solidarity and the Journey of Migration, a day of education, advocacy, and communal prayer focused on migrant and refugee justice. The day begins with Mass celebrated by Cardinal Blase Cupich at Old St. Patrick's Church and continues at Old St. Pat's Fellowship Hall with workshops, panel discussions, a volunteer fair, and lunch. Featured panelists have included Catholic practical theologian Dr. Claudia Herrera-Montero of Dominican University, immigrant advocate and poet Miguel Avíla, and Jesuit Father David Inczauskis of Loyola University Chicago.
SPRED and Other Outreach
SPRED - Special Religious Development - is an Archdiocesan religious education program specifically designed to meet the spiritual needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities. ICSJ serves the over-23 age group of SPRED in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Josaphat parishes. Through one-to-one friendships and a community of faith, SPRED helps its members celebrate the sacraments, enter into parish worship, and recognize their own giftedness and dignity. The Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive, held at all ICSJ Masses each September, supports SPRED at ICSJ.
Other outreach ministries include:
- Ministry of Care: trained lay volunteers who bring Holy Communion to homebound parishioners and lead small communion services at Hallmark Senior Living Community on the first and third Saturdays of the month at 3:30 p.m. All Ministers of Care must be VIRTUS trained through the Archdiocese.
- High Sight: tutors who support Chicago high school students from low-income families with assignments and test prep.
- Homegoing Ministry: parishioners who assist families at the time of a funeral, supporting the family the day of the service and helping with the funeral liturgy.
- KnitWits: a monthly gathering on the third Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in the St. Joseph Community Room. Members knit and crochet baby blankets, hats, and other comfort items for Children's Place Association, a Chicago organization serving children and families in need.
- Knights of Columbus: the parish council organizes food drives, delivers Giving Tree gifts, and assists with parish events throughout the year.
- Decision Coaching: parishioner Mike Traynor offers free, confidential decision coaching for parish members facing questions of career, retirement, or life change.
- The Prayer Connection: parishioners who, upon receiving prayer requests, lift intentions up individually and through a daily Holy Rosary Zoom gathering.
Alpha and OCIA: Faith Formation
Two of the parish's signature faith formation programs are Alpha and OCIA.
Alpha is a series of interactive gatherings that has been held at ICSJ since the fall of 2019. Each weekly session begins with dinner, followed by a 25-minute video on a topic of Christian faith, and small group discussion. Alpha runs on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. at the Immaculate Conception Parish Center, 3rd Floor, and concludes with a Holy Spirit Day on Saturday. The program is free, and no commitment is required - participants can come for a week, miss a week, or join in at any point up to the third session. There is no pressure to speak in small groups, and questions about anything from forgiveness to suffering to life's purpose are welcome. AfterAlpha, a follow-up gathering at a nearby bar, runs on Thursday evenings from 8:15 to 9:15 p.m. for Alpha participants and others in their 20s and 30s.
OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly known as RCIA), is how the Catholic Church welcomes and prepares adults to receive the sacraments. OCIA at ICSJ is open to those who have never been baptized, Christians baptized in another tradition who wish to become Catholic, and baptized Catholics who have not yet received First Communion or Confirmation. Weekly sessions are offered each year, and the parish regularly welcomes a large OCIA class at the Easter Vigil.
ICSJ also hosts a Saturday morning Scripture Study Group, which gathers via Zoom to discuss The Chosen, the internationally popular drama about the life of Jesus. A Women's Retreat is held each June at the Redemptorist Retreat House in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. A Women's Book Club gathers for fellowship and faith sharing. The parish's young adult community, FORMED, brings together parishioners in their 20s and 30s for small groups, happy hours, service projects, and social events.
Children, Youth, and the Sacraments
ICSJ celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Baptism marks the first step in a Catholic life, welcoming the baptized into the Body of Christ and laying the foundation for all other sacraments. Parents begin the process by submitting the Baptismal Intake Form; a staff member follows up to walk them through preparation.
First Reconciliation is celebrated in 2nd grade, in a prayer service for all children, usually in December. First Communion is also prepared for in 2nd grade, with lessons grounded in Scripture and tradition. Children who are not enrolled in a Catholic school can prepare through the Religious Education Program; adults can prepare through OCIA.
Confirmation completes Christian initiation, with candidates receiving the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit - Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. ICSJ School and Religious Education students prepare in 7th and 8th grades, completing 15 service hours and a Confirmation retreat.
The Sacrament of Anointing is celebrated annually at a Mass of Anointing, and homebound parishioners receive it at least once a year. The sacrament is intended not only for those near death but also for those suffering from illness, addiction, anxiety, or other circumstances that burden mind or body.
Funerals are arranged through the parish office, with the family meeting with the pastor and staff to plan the funeral liturgy in accordance with Catholic tradition. Sacramental records - including baptisms, First Holy Communions, Confirmations, weddings, and funerals performed at the parish - can be requested through Sacramental Coordinator Tina Norton; older records may not be available.
Weddings at St. Joseph Church
Most weddings at ICSJ are celebrated at St. Joseph Church, with Immaculate Conception Church available for smaller, more intimate ceremonies. The wedding fee is $3,000, with a $500 non-refundable deposit to secure the date and a $2,500 balance. The fee covers marriage preparation meetings, preparation of Church paperwork, music planning and consultation, a pianist and cantor, an organist for the procession and recession by request, wedding sacristans and event coordination, and use of the church and parking lot for the rehearsal and wedding day.
Couples are asked to schedule at least six months in advance and to complete a Couple's Information Form as the first step. A Wedding Fair introduces two to eight couples at a time to the preparation process. The Director of Music, Liam Marchant, works with each couple about four weeks before the wedding to plan the ceremony music; outside musicians are not permitted, but additional musicians from the parish's approved list can be hired at the couple's expense. Visiting clergy are welcome to preside, subject to the parish's Visiting Clergy Agreement.
The church is fully air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter. Guests with mobility needs can enter through the Parish Center doors at sidewalk level and use the ramp into the church. A bridal room and a separate groom's conference room are available before the ceremony. Each wedding has a two-hour window, and the parish asks that cars not be left in the parking lot after the ceremony.
Couples marrying in another Catholic parish can complete their marriage preparation through ICSJ for a $300 fee, which covers preparation of paperwork, the FOCCUS inventory, a PreCana course, and follow-up meetings.
Parish Life, Leadership, and Stewardship
The parish is supported by a Parish Council, which meets monthly at St. Joseph's Parish Center; a Senior Leadership Team that sets the strategic vision; a Parish Finance Council that advises on budget, buildings, and financial planning; and the ICSJ School Board of Specified Jurisdiction (BSJ), which provides governance for the school.
Giving is central to the life of the parish. Over 90 percent of the parish operating budget comes from parishioner donations. Online giving is available through GiveCentral and Venmo (@ICSJ-Chicago), and recurring e-Giving is offered at weekly, monthly, or annual intervals. Gifts of stock, Qualified Charitable Distributions from an IRA, gift annuities, and employer matching gifts are also encouraged. Parishioners can mail donations to the parish office at 1107 N. Orleans Street.
Second Collections throughout the year combine the parish's resources with the wider Church. Collections support the Church in Latin America, the Annual Catholic Appeal, Aid for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Catholic Charities, Priests' Health and Retirement, Peter's Pence, Holy Land, the Missionary Co-Op, Seminarian Education, World Mission Sunday, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the Retirement Fund for Religious, and the parish's Sharing Parish, Mother of the Americas.
The parish's clergy and staff publish a weekly bulletin, News from the Pews, which has been archived back to 2015. Father Larry's weekly letter, "All of Us," is also published each week, with reflections on faith, life, and the people and moments that shape the parish community. The parish is active on Facebook at facebook.com/icsjparish and on Instagram at @icsjparish, with the school maintaining its own page at facebook.com/icsjschool and the young adult community at @icsjyoungadults.
The parish school, the parish staff, and the broader community are bound together by the simple conviction at the heart of ICSJ's vision - that they are a "Family of Families," committed to being the face of Jesus in today's world through prayer, growth, service, sharing, and belonging in His name.