The St. Gregory Community
While St. Gregory has remained the same, the people who have called it home have not. The transition of the neighborhood from Summerdale to Andersonville also followed a transition of the community from Luxembourgers to Filipino.
The Luxembourger Community
In the period between 1830-1840s, there was a large immigration of hundreds of Luxembourgers to the United States. One community settled in Chicago in the 1840s, including in the then Summerdale neighborhood. As this neighborhood lacked a German speaking Catholic parish, it was of the utmost importance that community members take charge and petition the archbishop for their own parish. German speakers would go on to dominate the parish in its early years, as seen in this German parish directory.
St. Gregory Letter to Archbishop
Read their letter to the Archbishop advocating for the inclusion of non-German speaking parishioners in the St. Gregory community
The St. Gregory Community, however, would go on to be held back by the parish’s lack of services for non German speakers; something had to change. And so, in 1916, Father Klasen wrote to the Archbishop petitioning a shift in the languages in which service and programs were conducted at St. Gregory. While he once thought he had to turn away non-German speakers wanting to join the parish, Father Klasen came to understand that this action would only lead them away from the Church.
The Filipino Community
While not part of the founding generations, the Filipino community of St. Gregory has become one of its largest. The role of the Filipino community is vital to the spirit and functioning of St. Starting in 1987, the Filipino community has been able to gather and collaborate regularly at culturally significant services, such as the first Simbang Gabi pictured here. These services in preparation for Christmas, along with other religious Filipino gatherings, would become traditions celebrated uninterrupted for many years. While St. Gregory already had a large Filipino population before 1987, they had not been able to congregate and find their voice until then.
