Richard Nickel, Saint Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church, c. 1960, Art Institute of Chicago.
Since 2016, the Archdiocese of Chicago has closed more than one hundred parishes as part of its Renew My Church initiative. Some parishes have merged together, while others have been shuttered. While the Archdiocese has plans to preserve the relics and sacramental records of these churches, there is often less of an effort to conserve the memories of the communities that worshipped there. This site aims to build an archive of this moment, documenting the histories of those parishes impacted by Renew My Church. Beyond commemorating those parishes whose time has come to an end, the project hopes to preserve their stories for the future.