St. Pascal Catholic Church rose from the great tides of immigration in early 20th century America, which brought newcomers from Ireland, Germany, and Poland to the sparsely populated farmlands, fields and marshes of Chicago’s far Northwest Side. By 1914, 200 adults were counted as living in the rural area, a marked increase from only a handful a decade earlier. (In comparison, 100 years later, over 50,000 people would reside in what is now the city’s 38th ward.)

On September 7th, 1914, Chicago Archbishop James Edward Quigley, in the final year of his life, assigned Reverend George P. Heimsath, a 35 year old priest from St. Clement’s parish in Lincoln Park, with the task of organizing a new parish to serve the needs of the faithful living in the city’s remote northwest corner. On September 15th, at the nearby parish of Our Lady of Victory, Father Heimsath met with a group of residents who lived within the boundaries of the proposed parish. While these new parishioners had little money, they possessed a faith and determination that ultimately would be realized in the breathtaking spiritual sanctuary that today stands as a landmark, visible for miles along Irving Park Road.

The original parishioners quickly decided that the patron saint of the new church would be St. Pascal Baylon, a humble Franciscan monk who lived in Spain from 1540 to 1592, and who was distinguished for his prayerful holiness, charity to the poor and afflicted, and dedication to the veneration of the Holy Eucharist. 

To accommodate Sunday worship, the new parish rented the small Pioneer Theatre, also known as the Nickel Show or the Dunning Opera, near the intersection of Irving Park and Narragansett. (Although the theatre is long gone, the building remains, now occupied by a canoe outfitting company). The first Sunday Mass was celebrated September 20th, 1914, with the altar on the theatre’s stage.

By the spring of 1915, parishioners began collecting funds to build the first St. Pascal Church, soon buying a parcel of land bordered by Austin, McVicker, Cullom and Berteau Avenues. Through the untiring work of parishioners, the new church, with a four room school above the church, was dedicated by Archbishop George Mundelein on June 4th, 1916.

By 1922, as the area rapidly developed, the parish began to outgrow its home, all space in the combination church and school utilized, with children attending classes in the church and on the stage of the auditorium. Fortunately, benefactors appeared in the form of Schorsch family, parishioners and realtors for much of the Portage Park area. The Schorsch family, at the urging of the family matriarch, donated the land along Irving Park Road where the current St. Pascal Church now stands.

Ground was broken for the second St. Pascal Church, again a combination church and school building, on March 17th, 1923, construction completed on November 5th, 1925. The original church property on Austin Avenue was sold to the Sisters of Providence, and houses the present-day St. Mary of Providence School.

The St. Pascal parish and its Northwest Side community continued to flourish, and as the 1920s came to an end, Father Heimsath and his parishioners resolved to meet the new demands for space by creating an inspiring monument to their faith—an edifice that would soar into the sky, embodying the strength of the human spirit and pointing the way to eternal salvation.

For this third (and current) church, Father Heimsath settled on an architecture sympathetic with the history of the church’s patron, choosing a Moorish design with thick high walls, red-tiled roofing, a faux minaret that serves as a chimney, archways characteristic of Spanish decor, a dark interior and gorgeous stained glass. Construction on the majestic structure began in 1930, in the shadow of the Great Depression, the finishing touches completed in 1932 by parishioners who donated their time and talent.

Additionally, Father Heimsath oversaw the construction of the convent, now
the Ciezadlo Senior Center, completed in 1949. In the 1950s, the St. Pascal School Junior High building was renovated, and the building that housed the second church was renovated and posthumously renamed Heimsath Hall.  Although  Although Father Heimsath passed away on January 25 1959, his work on behalf of the people of St. Pascal’s parish has been enthusiastically taken up by successive pastors: Reverend Thaddeus J. Neckman, Reverend Francis A. Ciezadlo, Reverend Gary A. Miller, Reverend Gary Lewanski, and the current pastor, the Very Reverend Paul G. Seaman.

The parish continues to grow and adapt to the needs of the community. In 1962, the third floor on the west school building was added. In 1965, implementing changes to the Liturgy, the new marble altar was placed nearer the congregation, the Mass said facing the congregation. In 1968, the altar railings were removed, the wrought iron refitted as backdrops behind the side chapel alcoves. In the first decade of the 21st century, under the leadership of Father Seaman, the church roof was repaired and the extraordinary bell tower saved. Most recently, the interior of the church has been beautifully repainted.

The city of Chicago has existed for approximately 175 years, and St. Pascal’s parish has played a vital role in well over half of the city’s history. Through the decades of explosive change, St. Pascal’s has anchored its surrounding community, and at the heart of St. Pascal Church, there has been one constant—the love, dedication, and spirituality of its parishioners to God and to one another