At the corner of Paulina and Addison in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, Saint Andrew Parish has been a Catholic community of worship, learning and service since 1894. Its identity centers on a Blue Ribbon school, family-centered religious education, welcoming worship and ministries that connect children and adults with service in Chicago and Uganda.
Mass at the Heart of Saint Andrew
Mass at Saint Andrew has a casual but reverent atmosphere, with an emphasis on welcoming hospitality, relevant and thought-provoking homilies, and joyful worship. The parish is particularly attentive to families: children are always welcome, the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass is family-focused, and a special Family Mass is celebrated each month during the school year.
- Monday through Friday: Daily Mass at 8:30 a.m. in the church.
- Saturday: Reconciliation at 3:00 p.m., followed by Mass at 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday: Mass at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
The weekday Mass gathers a smaller, more intimate congregation for worship. At Sunday Mass, young people can serve as lectors and altar servers, while the children's choir adds another musical dimension to the celebration.
The 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass is livestreamed in real time and remains available as a recording throughout the day. That opening Mass is also the usual setting for baptisms on available Sundays. The congregation follows the full Catholic order of worship, including the Greeting, Penitential Act, Liturgy of the Word, Profession of Faith, Eucharistic Prayer, Communion Rite and concluding prayer. The parish's profession of faith centers on one God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and one holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.
On Fridays in Lent, prayer and Adoration become a prominent part of parish life. The seasonal rhythm has included Stations of the Cross, a Night of Mercy and a community fish fry in the parish gym.
Finding the Parish at Paulina and Addison
The church and rectory stand at 3546 N Paulina St. in Chicago. Saint Andrew has a small parking lot on the north side of Addison Street between Marshfield and Paulina, and street parking is available throughout the neighborhood. The area is permit-only during Cubs night games, so evening parking requires attention to the signs in the area.
Public transportation provides several options. The Addison stop on the Brown Line is two blocks west of the parish. The 152 Addison bus stops at Addison and Paulina, the 50 Damen bus stops four blocks west, and the 9 Ashland bus stops two blocks east.
An accessible ramp is located on the south side of the church, and an accessible bathroom is in the northeast corner of the building. The school, auditorium, chapel and rectory do not have accessible entrances, making the main church the parish's most direct option for visitors with mobility needs.
Saint Andrew's parish campus includes the church and rectory at Paulina and Addison, the school and gymnasium at the same intersection, and the chapel, auditorium and social hall at 3555 N Hermitage at Hermitage and Addison. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
A Blue Ribbon School and K-8 Formation
Saint Andrew School is a Blue Ribbon Catholic school within the parish community. The elementary school is at 1710 W Addison St., the parish gymnasium is at 1658 W Addison St., and the Early Childhood Learning Center is at 3600 N Paulina St. Together, the church, school and gym create a compact campus where worship, education, athletics and parish gatherings meet.
The Saint Andrew Religious Education program offers a family-centered model for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Its flexibility allows families to participate remotely at different times and to adapt instruction around vacations, sports, travel and other commitments. K-7 classes meet on Sundays from 10:00 to 10:50 a.m., while older students have afternoon and evening classes for both ordinary religious education and sacramental preparation.
First and second graders prepare for First Communion over two years. Their formation includes parish instruction, First Reconciliation, a retreat with parents and a First Communion rehearsal. Second graders have additional Sunday meetings for this preparation. Confirmation preparation begins for young people entering or beyond seventh grade, with seventh-grade classes meeting on Sunday afternoons and eighth-grade sacramental preparation on Sunday evenings.
Children also have meaningful roles in parish worship. Beyond the monthly Family Mass, young readers can participate in the Liturgy of the Word for Children, youth can serve as lectors and altar servers, and children can sing with the children's choir. Altar server training is offered at the beginning of the school year, with additional training for new servers during the year.
Learning, Initiation and Parish Life
Adult faith formation takes several forms. REBOOT: Update Your Spiritual Software is a six-week class on adult spirituality, led by the pastoral staff and offered either in person or through Zoom. It is intended for adults who want to revisit what they learned in eighth grade, high school or college and consider how their understanding of Christianity and the Catholic Church has developed. The sessions create room for lively discussion, new knowledge and personal reflection.
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults welcomes people who have not been baptized, have not received Confirmation or Holy Communion, or are Catholics seeking renewal. The process begins with honest questions about God, human purpose, Jesus and the Catholic Church rather than a memorized set of answers. Meeting arrangements follow the needs of the group, allowing the inquiry to unfold as a shared journey.
Parish registration is another beginning point for those joining Saint Andrew. Registration is accompanied by a 20-minute orientation with a staff member and begins a relationship in which the parish assumes responsibility for caring for a person's spiritual needs while the person also engages in parish life.
Sacraments mark important stages of that life. Baptisms are scheduled on available Sundays immediately following the 9:00 a.m. Mass, and the parish typically celebrates two children at a time. Families preparing for a first child's baptism attend a virtual preparation class that lasts about 40 minutes. Wedding planning begins with a questionnaire, and the pastor normally responds within two weeks. The parish also supports preparation for marriage and the sacramental preparation of children and adults.
Young Adults, Women and Men Finding Community
SAYA, the Saint Andrew Young Adult group, serves parishioners and friends in their twenties and thirties. It combines service and social life with a focus on building community and deepening faith. Activities range from shared meals and creative gatherings to guided meditation and seasonal celebrations, with participation open to anyone in the age range.
The Women's Ministry welcomes women from their early twenties through every stage of life beyond. Its groups center on prayer, Scripture, conversation and authentic connection, while quarterly dinners, guest speakers and service projects broaden the ministry's shared rhythm. A Wednesday morning group meets weekly in the church from 9:45 to 11:00 a.m., and a Monday evening group meets from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at a local home. Both groups can be joined by video. A separate school moms group meets monthly on Friday mornings for friendship, a short devotional and intentional prayer for students and staff.
Patris Corde, Latin for “With a Father's Heart,” is the parish men's group. It supports men in their roles as fathers, friends, husbands and leaders through the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church. Father Hank joins the group for prayer and reflection on a weekly theme during biweekly Monday meetings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the rectory. People of every background and level of experience are welcome.
These smaller groups make room for conversation that can be harder to sustain in larger gatherings. Their shared pattern is practical: meet regularly, read Scripture, pray with one another, make connections across generations, and carry the resulting friendships into service.
Serving Chicago and Uganda
Saint Andrew offers many ways to serve. Parish roles include religious education instruction, the Liturgy of the Word for Children, hospitality, lectors, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, musicians, fundraising and parish leadership. Faith Formation, Worship, Social Concerns, Stewardship, Building and Finance commissions and councils assist the pastor and invite parishioners to contribute their time and talents. Volunteers who work with children complete background checks, safe environment training and required conduct acknowledgments before serving.
Food and clothing drives support shelters and organizations including St. Mary of the Lake, St. Thomas of Canterbury and Giving Tree. Parish volunteers also participate in Meals from the Heart and Greater Chicago Food Depository. These efforts extend the parish's concern for people experiencing food insecurity or lacking basic necessities beyond its own doors.
Saint Andrew has maintained a strong relationship with Fr. Matthias Kakooza from Uganda for several years. He visits Chicago to speak about the growing church in Uganda, and each visit includes a parish-to-parish appeal for his ministries. Parishioners also support Ugandan students through One Heart Uganda tuition scholarships and contribute to the construction and support of schools in Fr. Matthias' area of Essomero.
Collaboration with St. Benedict Parish adds another dimension to Saint Andrew's outreach. The independent parishes developed the “Better Together” covenant to strengthen their relationship, improve communication and evangelization, and develop volunteer leaders. Their shared work focuses on recognizing one another's strengths, expanding outreach to people who are not connected to a church, and helping parishiones recognize their gifts of leadership.
Giving, Fundraising and Parish Fellowship
Financial support is understood as an integral part of discipleship at Saint Andrew. Donors can give weekly, monthly or one time through GiveCentral, use weekly contribution envelopes, or arrange automatic bank deductions. The parish also asks people to consider Time, Talent and Treasure when responding to its annual stewardship appeal.
Drew's Dollars extends that invitation into everyday spending. The gift-card program includes nearly 650 retailers, among them Target, Jewel, Walmart, Mariano's, Starbucks, Home Depot, CVS, Walgreens, Barnes and Noble, Kohl's and Amazon. Online giving and gift-card options give parishioners several ways to support the parish and school.
Fundraising also brings the community together in familiar and energetic settings. The Fall Swing begins with golf at Marovitz Golf Course and continues with dinner, dancing, entertainment and auctions. The Running of the Bulldogs 5K supports school athletics and another charitable cause. During Lent, the parish gym hosts a fish fry with live music, while Wearin' the Green features rock and folk music, Irish dancers, dinner, an open bar and auctions.
The parish's signature fall fundraiser, Oktoberfest and Fall Market, combines German-inspired food and beverage, live entertainment, a market of pumpkins, mums and other seasonal items, children's games, face painting and balloon art. The proceeds support both Saint Andrew Parish and Saint Andrew School, bringing together the worship, education and neighborhood relationships that define the parish community.
Rooted in Chicago Since 1894
Saint Andrew's pastoral team includes Pastor Rev. Hank Lyon, Associate Pastor Fr. Zhao Melchior Huaimin, Deacon Mark Purdome, Director of Religious Education David Heimann and Weekend Priest Rev. Alec Wolff. Together with parish leaders, volunteers, families, students and friends, they form a community that has served Lakeview since 1894.
The parish describes its mission as fulfilled when people enter the world more capable of loving one another as they have been loved. That purpose connects worship with learning, friendships with service, and parish life with concern for people in Chicago, Uganda and the wider Lakeview community.
At Saint Andrew, the Catholic faith is lived through the Mass, the formation of children and adults, the relationships of a multigenerational neighborhood parish and a steady willingness to serve. This remains the center of the church's shared life: a community rooted in place since 1894 and continually renewed through worship, learning, fellowship and service.