In April of 1882 25 churchmen petitioned the Bishop of Chicago to start a mission church in Rogers Park, IL. On April 23rd permission was granted and St. Paul's Church was born.

On Good Friday the Church is barren after the stripping of the Altar on Holy Thursday. The Liturgy on this day consists of Readings, The Solemn Collects, Veneration of the Cross and the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified. Everyone leaves the Church in silence.

At dusk on Easter Even the Church gathers to light a new fire and the Paschal Candle. The ancient prophesies are read in preparation for the announcement of the Resurrection. The Baptismal Font is blest with Lustral Water to renew our Baptismal Vows. Solemn Mass is celebrated and an Alleluia Easter Party follows.

In the Anglican Tradition every Sunday is a little Easter, but one Sunday a year is Easter Day. The 10;30am Mass that day is a Solemn Mass with sprinkling of Lustral Water from the Easter Vigil to remember our Baptism. The Church School Children present their Easter Baskets for blessing and sing a Swahili Easter Hymn.

The 10:30am Palm Sunday Mass begins in the Parish Hall with the Blessing of Palms and an outdoor procession around the Church. The Solemn Mass includes the Passion Gospel narrated in four parts. Palm Sunday begins Holy Week in the Anglican Tradition.

During Lent and at other times, notably Corpus Christi Sunday, we celebrate the devotion know as Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes it is also known as Exposition or Adoration.

Our Friday evening devotions of Stations of the Cross, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Soup & Bread Supper and the Lenten Teaching Series on Anglo-Catholicism. Also the Sung Mass from the Third Sunday in Lent.

A random look around our lovely parish

Check out some of the Architecture, Art and beauty that make up the fabric of our Parish Church.

A few years ago, parishioner Alvin Collins, took some pictures of the Sanctuary High Altar during Holy Week. When he had the pictures developed he noticed some small orb-like water spots. Upon closer inspection these spots were not external fluids from the development stage, but in the original photograph itself. In Iconography Angels are often seen holding translucent orbs or even pictured themselves as glassy like orgs. Here are two photographs which show 1 to 5 Angels that seemed to be visiting our parish that Holy Week.

On the last Sunday of October we celebrate our Annual Parish Harvest Festival. At this Mass the first fruits of the Harvest are presented along with our yearly stewardship pledges. The Rector opens the Harvest. The Church School Children & Adults present the Harvest usually with song. Pledges are presented and all is Blest by the Rector at the Offertory of the Mass. The Harvest is then sold at Coffee Hour along with a Parish Bake Sale.

Our Burmese youth have started their own Youth Group to reach out in ministry and service to the Church and neighborhood.

On Labor Day weekend, before the Chicago Public Schools open, we offer to our families and children a simple Blessing of their backpacks and school supplies. Between both Sunday Masses about 30 children participated.

On Sunday August 14th we celebrated the anticipation of the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, commonly called The Assumption. A Solemn Mass with cloth of silver vestments given for Feasts of Our Lady was used.

On Sunday August 7th we celebrated the Solemnity of the Transfiguration with a Solemn Mass. The Vestments used are over 100 years old and only used at this and the Great Easter Vigil Mass the night before Easter Day.

On Sunday July 24th the parish family celebrated the 100th Birthday of parishioner Joseph Warren with a Solemn Mass and Reception in Banner Hall after the Mass. Joseph was born July 26, 1916. Happy Birthday Joe!

On Wednesday June 29th,the Feast of SS Peter & Paul, apostles, the 12th Bishop of Chicago made his Canonical Visitation to our Parish. He celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass of Holy Confirmation with a dozen candidates and the renewal of our Baptismal Vows. A reception was held in Banner Hall for the Bishop and Candidates and then the Bishop met with the Vestry for a very positive and enjoyable evening. About 100 persons of the parish turned out to greet their Bishop. Burmese, Sudanese, Congolese, Caribbean's, other African Countries and Caucasian parishioners were present for the gala which celebrated our 134th Patronal Festival.

On Corpus Christi Sunday May 29th our parish First Communion Class students were admitted to Holy Communion by virtue of their Baptism, Study and a blessing from their Rector. The Class was prepared by our Parish Catechist John Ngugi.

The Thursday after the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity is celebrated in honor of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We also keep the Sunday after that Thursday as the Solemnity of Corpus Christi with Solemn Mass, Outdoor Procession and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Sunday April 24, 2016

A summary of the Events from Palm Sunday to Easter Day in the life of our parish family.

The First Mass of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ begins with a Choir Concert at 10:15pm Christmas Eve. At 10:30pm the Mass begins with a Solemn Procession and the Blessing of the Crèche. We receive our Christmas Communion around Midnight and after Mass a few faithful gather in Banner Hall to toast a cheer for the Beginning of Christmastide. Christmas lasts for 12 days in our parish with daily Mass.

On Advent IV we make our final preparations for the great celebration of the Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. On this day through the Nativity Pageant we are led in song and story by our Church School Students.

On the 35th Anniversary of his ordination to the Sacred Priesthood, and 21st as Rector of the Parish, Fr. Heschle welcomed Bishop Montgomery to our Parish for our 132nd Patronal Feast of SS. Peter and Paul, apostles. Bishop Montgomery grew up as a boy at St. Paul's by-the-Lake, sang in the Boy's Choir, served as an Acolyte and was Ordained a Deacon here in June of 1948. He is also the Bishop who ordained Fr. Heschle to the Sacred Order of Deacons in 1978 and to the Priesthood in 1979.

From Palm Sunday to Easter Day we celebrate the most sacred time of our lives as Christians in a local neighborhood Parish Church.

The Feast of Corpus Christi, the Father's Day BBQ, and seminary student Matthew receiving a chalice as a gift from the parish.

Since, 1882, St. Paul’s Church by–the-Lake has served the needs of the residents of Rogers Park, and its neighboring communities. As we celebrate our 131st anniversary, we can look back with pride at the pioneering spirit of those, at the end of the 19th century that gathered in the Methodist Meeting House to form the nucleus of our present day parish, in what was then a small village, north of the city of Chicago, called Rogers Park. That same pioneering spirit continues as we open our doors for Daily Mass, welcoming all to one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse parishes in the Diocese of Chicago. We gather in the richness of the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Episcopal Church to celebrate Holy Mass.

The Celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Fun time and Parish Fund raiser for the Accessibility Project of 2013. Such Parish Events are not uncommon at St. Paul's by-the-Lake.

A Feast celebrating the "Bringing in the Sheaves". Presented with Hymns and Scripture readings the Children bring forth baskets of vegetables and fruits. The Adults present a harvest of baked goods, pies and coffee hour items. Finally the whole parish is invited to bring forth their Pledges to the Budget (estimate of giving) for the coming year. The Harvest is blest and then all the vegetables and baked goods are for sale at Coffee Hour following Mass.

Our parish family welcomed many Burmese Refugee's from the Karin Tribe who began arriving in the Chicago land area around the year 2007. Many were Anglicans in Burma (now Myanmar)and came to the USA through a Refugee Camp in Thailand after a Military Coup forced many to flee for their lives. They currently come more to the 8am Sunday Low Mass, but participate also in all areas of Parish Life.

Our Parish has from 2001 worked closely with the Lost Boys who arrived from the Kakuma Refugee Camp. We now count them as members of our parish and they celebrate a Sundanese Dinka Language Mass every Sunday at 1:00pm. Their pastor Fr. Abraham Awan works closely with Fr. Heschle our rector.