The Pacific Garden Mission: A Place of Refuge
Image by Louis Kreusel via Flickr In years past, Gerald Casey was a “shepherd of the devil,” he said, moving 15 kilos of cocaine a day to the streets of Chicago in a large drug cartel. After distributing cocaine for years, Casey found himself a victim of his own enterprise. His business had turned him [...]
After Years of Declining Enrollment, Chicago Catholic Schools Now Holding Their Own
By Reginald Williams Marisa Sepulveda said she sends her daughter, Karolina, to St. Francis de Sales High School on Chicago’s Southeast Side because the school offers “a true perspective on good morals and religious beliefs.” Sepulveda said the small high school, which has 265 students, enforces “a lot of discipline and teaches values and morals.” [...]
School Prayer Battle Marches On
Public schools across the state await an appellate decision on whether they must reinstate the controversial moment of silence at the beginning of each school day. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is grappling with the decision to uphold the district court’s opinion that held it unconstitutional. In the meantime, lawmakers are struggling to [...]
Social Service Organizations Rally Together for Balanced Budget
Local faith leaders, along with representatives from more than 300 social service organizations, headed to Springfield on Tuesday to show their support for House Bill 174, which would raise the states income tax and expand the sales tax. “Typically, these are organizations that are in competition against each other for limited state dollars, but instead [...]
Food Pantries Meet Demand in Englewood
By Deborah Alexander, LISC Chicago’s New Communities Program Joyce Brown is no stranger to people in need. As the project coordinator for the Englewood Food Network, she’s been organizing food pantries and serving up meals to hungry clients for a long time. But during the past year, she’s seen a pronounced difference in the people [...]
Activists Trying to Build Support Now: Same-Sex Marriage Law to be Debated in Illinois this Spring?
While a new same-sex marriage law waits to be heard in the state Senate, Chicagoans and local activists remain divided on the issue of gay marriage. The proposed legislation would allow gay couples to wed in Illinois. As the new bill waits in the legislature until next year’s session, opinions vary widely on the issue [...]
St. Boniface: Landmark status in the making
Part One: ChicagoTalks’ urban affairs series May 26, 2009 – After being shuttered for 20 years, St. Boniface church is nearing salvation, or destruction. A 90 day hold on the church’s demolition expired March 5, but talks about the building’s future continue. The city and the archdiocese are currently looking into a land-swap deal as [...]
