Our Lady of Fatima Chapel

“Our Lady of Fatima, a place of worship and home to a vibrant history.” That’s how the tour guide started. He pointed at the building. “You’re looking at a small church on a residential street in Avondale. This was once home to the Swedish congregation of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. It was demolished and rebuilt in the 1950s as a larger, mid-century modern structure to make more room for parishioners. This church wasn’t always known as Our Lady of Fatima. For a long time, it was St. Hyacinth Mission Church, a kind of helper church to the main St. Hyacinth parish in Chicago. They supported each other. The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima leased the church in 2007. That’s where the current name comes from. The church has been closed since a few years after the pandemic and now faces demolition. It’s a shame, because it was a place for baptisms, weddings, and many other events. The historic statues and other elements should be preserved though. It’s said the church was built with pennies and nickels from all the parishioners.” The tour guide stopped to look at the building one last time. “The building will be replaced by three single-family homes, but the church’s legacy of faith and community will always remain. This small church on a residential street in Avondale, it tells a story of change and adaptation.”