St. Peter's Church Reopens
Monday, June 8 ~ From 10:30 am until 3 pm
Mondays through Saturdays
For Confessions Only

May 28, 2020

Dear Friends of St. Peter’s:

I am writing to inform you that we intend to begin opening our church on Monday, June 8, 2020. We will do so in accord with the directives of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Initially the church will be open only for confessions. At a later date the nave of the church will be open first for private prayer and eventually for public Masses.

If you wish to go to confession, you must enter by the handicap door only. Penitents will be asked to wear a face mask or covering at all times. You will be welcomed and then directed down to the lower level either by the stairs or by the elevator. Once there, we will have the hallway marked with tape so that each person will be six feet apart. A maximum of ten people will be allowed inside at one time. Confessions will be heard in room B of the auditorium. A chair will be provided for the penitent, and it will be disinfected before the next penitent enters. When you are finished with your confession, you will be asked to return directly to the lobby in order to exit through the handicap door.

At St. Peter’s confessions, beginning on Monday, June 8, will be heard Monday-Saturday from 10:30 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. If you have any questions, please call our office at 312-372-5111.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

Rev. Kurt Hartrich, O.F.M.
Pastor

A LETTER FROM CARDINAL CUPICH

Dear Friends in Christ,

These fifty days of Easter, leading to Pentecost, are marked by unprecedented suffering, as humanity has fallen victim to a perilous contagion. In addition to the threats to our physical wellbeing, we are suffering spiritually as the Covid-19 pandemic has required restrictions of our worship and active participation in the sacramental life of the Church. Surely, there have been moments in history when governments and rulers have persecuted Christians and banned their public worship. This is not one of them. Rather, the present restrictions come in response to an extreme medical emergency as local, state and federal authorities—specifically public health officials—legitimately fulfil their responsibilities to safeguard human life and the common good. They have based their reasonable guidance on careful consideration of empirical data and the best available disease-mitigation practices as they seek to contain the pandemic’s rampage through our communities.

While everyone must exercise good citizenship in observing these restrictions, I call on the Catholic faithful, as advocates for justice and charity, to comply with these regulations. From the first pages of Scripture we learn that we indeed are “our brother’s keeper,” a truth that must inspire us as we are called to sacrifice. We should also be motivated to cooperate with public safety norms, given our reverence for life and human dignity. This is, at its heart, a moment to proclaim the breadth and depth of what it means to be pro-life, particularly as this virus preys on the most vulnerable in our midst.

The good news is that a plan for a gradual reopening of our churches has now taken shape, as I note below. However, since our movements will be restricted as that plan unfolds in different phases, your pastors and bishops will continue for the present time to offer Mass in private each day and to livestream and broadcast Masses from our parishes and the archdiocese. I am particularly grateful to ABC-TV, Univision and Polvision in Chicago for giving us airtime every Sunday. These celebrations surely are not the same as gathering in our churches for Mass, but I know from hearing from many parishioners that they provide a great deal of solace and support in this time of uncertainty.

We must be honest. We expect this situation to continue for some weeks, and any plan for reopening our Churches for public worship must include every precaution to ensure public gatherings do not create a second wave of contagion, thus squandering the gains made through our sacrifice in these days.

With those realities in mind, I am heartened to announce that the Catholic Bishops of Illinois have reached an agreement with the Office of the Governor on a multi-phase Plan for reopening our churches for the celebration of the sacraments, private prayer, adoration and Mass. As I share the plan with you, both by way of an Executive Summary and the full Plan in the attachment, I want to assure you of my prayers for you and your family’s personal, material and spiritual wellbeing. I also express my appreciation to the many people on the archdiocesan staff and in the Office of the Governor for the many hours they have given to designing and fine tuning this agreement. Again, I call on all Catholics to seize this moment to exercise faith-filled citizenship in a way that reflects our deep regard for life, our calling as disciples of Jesus and our love of country.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+Blasé Cardinal Cupich
Archbishop of Chicago 

Greetings from the rooftop courtyard at St. Peter’s Church in the Loop!  Our doors may be closed, but our hearts remain open to the Word of God and to your prayers.  We are blessed to be in reasonably good health and are coping with the shelter-in-place provisions much like many families are – movies, game nights, shared meals, etc.  With you, we mourn the souls lost to this dreadful virus and pray for those who currently battle it.  And, like you, we are eternally grateful to the men and women who risk their lives treating the afflicted, as well as those working to provide us all with essential services. 

Please know that the friars are praying for you all daily and eagerly look forward to the day when we can be together in person once again to share in the sacraments, a few laughs, and perhaps a tear or two.  May God’s grace touch us through all of these in our fragile, troubled world.

Together in Christ – peace, health, and all good to you,

The Friars of St. Peter’s Church

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St. Peter's Church is temporarily closed until further notice.
 Prayers and blessings to the St. Peter's Family
during this uncertain time. Stay well.

Catholic Resources

Please view the following websites for daily Mass, prayers and spiritual support:

www.archchicago.org

Church Hours

Weekdays:
5:30 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday:
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday:  
8:30 am - 7:00 pm

Mass Times

Regular Mass Times

Monday - Friday: 6:15, 7:15, 8:15,
11:40 am, 12:15, 1:15, 5:00 pm

Saturday: 12 noon and 5:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00, 11:00 am, 12:30 and 6:00 pm

Consult Bulletin for Holy Day Schedules

Confessions

The Sacrament of Confession 
is available at St. Peter's
Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 6:00 pm 
and
Saturday from 12 noon - 4:30 pm 
 No appointment needed.
Enter the church and find
the confessional that is in use.

Mezzanine
For those desiring to speak with a priest
Check in at the Front Desk in the Lobby
Monday-Friday
10:30 am to 6 pm
Saturday
12 pm to 6 pm

Devotion and Prayer

Mondays & Wednesdays:
Evening Prayer after 5:00 pm Mass
Tuesdays:
St. Anthony Devotions after every Mass
Friday:
  Marian Devotions after 1:15 pm Mass
Eucharistic Adoration:
Monday - Friday 1:45-4:45 pm
Benediction:
Monday - Friday 4:45 pm

St. Peter's Book & Gift Shop

Closed Until Further Notice
Monday-Wednesday 10 am-3 pm
Thursday & Friday 10 am-6 pm
Sunday 9:30 am-2 pm
Link to more information.

St. Peter's Church Receives
Best of Chicago Churches Award 2019!
Link to more information.

Vocation Office

The Vocations Office has moved.
New address and phone number:
4513 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 60640
314-766-1952
Interested in learning about life
as a Franciscan?
Click here to visit the
Vocation Office Website.

San Damiano Fraternity

Click on image to link to
San Damiano Fraternity Home Page

Cardinal Cupich's Letter

 Link to Cardinal Cupich Letter