A Byzantine Treasure in Lincoln Park
Saint Clement Parish sits at 642 West Deming Place in the heart of Lincoln Park, a Roman Catholic community whose church building is widely regarded as one of the most remarkable sacred interiors in Chicago. Founded in 1905 and rooted in the Catholic tradition of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the parish has grown over more than a century into a thriving family that draws together longtime parishioners, young families, young adults in their twenties and thirties, and visitors from across the city and beyond.
The current pastor, Fr. Peter Wojcik, leads a community that is increasingly recognized as one of the most dynamic in the archdiocese. More than 70 percent of new members joining Saint Clement are under the age of 35, and the parish has built an extensive set of ministries around the rhythms of those seeking to belong, those growing as believers, and those being formed as missionary disciples.
A Sanctuary Filled with Color and Gold
Stepping into the church, the eye is drawn first to the white marble altar with its mosaic of the Lamb of God, then upward to the Tree of Life that fills the apse above the baptistery. The interior was designed beginning in 1930 by the Reverend Gleb Werchovsky, a Russian-born priest and artist trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg and the University of Innsbruck. Werchovsky drew on his study of Byzantine art and his personal knowledge of the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome to create a symbolic Byzantine universe inside a Romanesque shell. He died in 1935, four years into the project, leaving a living legacy of more than one hundred saints, gold stenciled walls, and a program of mosaics and paintings that the parish still treasures today.
The Tree of Life mosaic in the apse replicates the eleventh-century mosaic of the same name in the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome, a parish connection the community celebrates through its support of the San Clemente Project in Rome, which is restoring a chapel within that ancient basilica. On the main arch, Christ is depicted as a Byzantine Emperor, seated on a throne with a scepter and orb, flanked by the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Clement of Rome. Clement is shown offering to Christ a model of this church and holding a book inscribed "Ad Corinthios," a reference to his first-century letter to the Corinthian community.
The four lateral arches tell the story of two miracles attributed to Saint Clement - the striking of a rock to bring water to condemned Christians in the quarries, and the rising of the sea to reveal his tomb - and depict the Throne of the Trinity, surrounded by twelve saints from across the Christian tradition: Patrick, Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assisi, Benedict of Nursia, Ignatius of Loyola, and others. Above it all, an eighty-foot dome appears to float on a ring of light, with angels holding the signs of the zodiac beneath a canopy of stylized stars and clouds.
Three Casavant Frères mechanical-action organs anchor the parish's musical life. The main organ, built in 1983 and installed in the rear gallery, contains twenty stops over two manuals and pedal, with ebony natural keys and rosewood sharps. A smaller Taylor & Boody portative organ, acquired in 2005 and standing roughly three and a half feet tall, accompanies cantors and choirs at the front of the church and serves as a continuo instrument for concerts with orchestra.
Six Sunday Masses for Six Different Communities
Saint Clement is unusual among Chicago parishes in offering six Sunday liturgies, each with its own character. The Saturday Vigil at 5:00 p.m. is an organ and cantor Mass popular with busy families. Sunday morning opens with the 8:00 a.m. Mass, a quieter liturgy with organ and cantor that draws early risers and parents with infants. At 9:30 a.m., two Masses are celebrated simultaneously, one in the church and one in the chapel. The church liturgy is the parish's family Mass, with simplified music led by the Jubilate Children's Choir; during the school year, children ages three to six are invited to Children's Liturgy of the Word, hearing the Gospel in their own space before rejoining their families during the Offertory. The chapel liturgy offers a more relaxed atmosphere with contemporary music led by the Chapel Choir and piano.
The 11:15 a.m. Mass is the most traditional weekend liturgy, with incense, chant, and choral music sung by the renowned Schola Clementis choir; this Mass is also livestreamed. The 4:30 p.m. Sunday Mass is celebrated in a Praise & Worship style by the Orchard Street Worship ensemble, which uses drums, guitar, synth, and vocals, and is meant to be accessible to those new to the faith, interfaith families, and people raised in other Christian denominations. The 7:00 p.m. Mass, supported by the young adult choir Seraphim and organ, is the gathering point for the parish's twenty- and thirty-something community.
Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday, with some differences around the building's elevator outage. The 8:30 a.m. weekday Masses are currently held in the chapel, accessible through the parish office reception area; the Wednesday 8:00 a.m. Daily Mass is celebrated at the parish partner church, St. Teresa of Avila, on Armitage Avenue.
Confession, Adoration, and a Thursday Night of Prayer
Reconciliation is offered three times a week at Saint Clement: on Tuesdays immediately after the 8:30 a.m. Mass (those wishing to confess should arrive by 9:00 a.m.); on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., during the Thursday evening Adoration hour; and on Saturdays from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m.
Thursday evenings at Saint Clement have a rhythm of their own. The 6:00 p.m. Daily Mass is followed by Eucharistic Adoration until 7:30 p.m., with Benediction. The hour is meant to be a still encounter with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. On the first Thursday of each month, Adoremus expands the evening with meditative chant music led by an a cappella choir, sung Vespers, and the availability of confession throughout the night, ending in Benediction.
Men's Communio gathers in the chapel at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesdays for a brief prayer service before the workday begins. Lectio Divina meets on Fridays following the 8:30 a.m. Mass for guided prayerful reading of Scripture, open to anyone regardless of biblical background. A monthly Mass called Mass: Unplugged takes place on the third Sunday at 7:00 p.m. with candlelight, simple music, and extended silence, aimed at those seeking a more reflective experience of the liturgy.
The Five Parish Anchors
Under the leadership of the parish's seventh pastor, Fr. Ken Simpson, parish leaders developed what they call the five Parish Anchors - simple practices that shape the life of an engaged Catholic at Saint Clement. They are not another program to join but the disciplines of a disciple.
BELONG. Remaining in Christ means being an active part of the community with a spirit of open invitation.
PRAY. Teaching us to pray, this anchor centers life in the Mass and other worship opportunities that nurture a transformative relationship with Christ.
LEARN. Growing in knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith.
SERVE. Volunteering time and talents to serve people in Chicago and around the world.
SHARE. Sharing gifts and blessings, including spreading the Good News of the Gospel.
The anchors are paired with three Pathways - Seeking to Belong, Growing as a Believer, and Called to Lead Others - that describe where a person finds themselves in their journey of faith. Together they provide a framework for the parish's life of formation, beginning with the welcome and continuing through discipleship.
Alpha, Beta, and the Search for Belonging
Alpha is the parish's front door for seekers and the curious. Held in a relaxed setting with a shared meal, Alpha is a series of conversations exploring life, spirituality, and faith in a fun, non-judgmental environment. Registration is open to new participants, and the parish encourages past participants to invite a friend or loved one to join. Beta follows Alpha for those who want to keep asking questions with more depth. Each season focuses on a different thread of Catholic faith, with teaching, small group conversation, and shared food. The fall 2026 Beta series, "At the Table: The Eucharist Through the Ages," traces the celebration of the Eucharist from the upper room to the present day across five Tuesday evenings.
OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly known as RCIA), is the formal path for adults who wish to become Catholic or complete their sacraments of initiation. The parish runs two cohorts year-round, one meeting on Mondays and another on Thursdays, with sessions running from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. The fall 2026 cohort began in mid-November, with the sacraments of initiation celebrated at the Easter Vigil.
The Largest Young Adult Community in the Archdiocese
Saint Clement is home to what is regularly described as the largest and fastest-growing young adult population in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Over 80 percent of new members each month are in their twenties and thirties, and the community's vitality has helped shape the parish's overall identity.
The Young Adult Community, or YAC, gathers around the 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Sunday Masses and a steady calendar of social, service, and spiritual events. Sundays Uncorked, held twice a month after both evening Masses, brings young adults to the plaza for conversation and drinks. Theology on Tap draws hundreds each summer for a speaker series; the 2024 season hosted 1,422 young adults, with past speakers including Father Mike Schmitz, Dr. Sally Blount of Catholic Charities, and Father John Kartje, now a Sunday presider at Saint Clement. Wine Down Wednesdays, small groups, retreats, and a regular lineup of indoor and beach volleyball nights round out the calendar.
The parish has launched two podcasts in recent years. No Filter, Just Faith, hosted on behalf of the YAC, explores faith, doubt, and purpose with honesty and humor; new episodes release every other Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Magnified Ministries, hosted by Fr. Peter Wojcik, is aimed at ministry leaders in other parishes and new episodes release every Thursday.
Saint Clement School
Just steps from the church stands Saint Clement School, an award-winning Catholic elementary school serving students across the primary and middle grades. Kristen Fink serves as the school principal. The school has long been woven into the life of the parish, and many parishioners describe growing up through its hallways before sending their own children back through the same doors. Saint Clement School is recognized for the dedication of its teachers, often singled out by parishioners at parish gatherings and events such as the Anchor Ball.
Clement Commits: A Parishwide Tithe
One of the most distinctive features of Saint Clement is its Clement Commits program. Since 2003, the parish has committed ten percent of its Sunday offertory - a full tithe - to organizations serving the poor and vulnerable in Chicago and around the world. The parish hit its ten percent goal in 2014. Of that ten percent, seventy percent is distributed as direct grants to outside organizations chosen through a committee review process; thirty percent is allocated to Archdiocesan second collections.
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Clement Commits distributed $235,000, supporting twenty-seven organizations. Direct grants included Alpha Illinois, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Franciscan Outreach, Gabriel's Light, the Hortus Foundation (for restoration of the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome), House of the Good Shepherd, Lincoln Park Community Services, Little Sisters of the Poor, Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, the Archdiocesan Office of Human Dignity & Solidarity, Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Saint Mary of the Lake, and a children's home in the Diocese of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The parish also responded with timely contributions to the Archdiocese's appeal for Gaza relief in September 2025 and to emergency food assistance for immigrant families through Iskali in November 2025.
Sack Lunches, Service Day, and a Wide Net of Outreach
The parish has a long-running partnership with Lincoln Park Community Services, celebrating forty years of parish-supported meals in early 2025. Volunteers serve dinner at LPCS three times a month, and the parish provides sack lunches to guests at the drop-in programs. The Sack Lunch program expanded in 2025 to include support for Saint Mary of the Lake Parish in Uptown, which serves a growing population of refugee and immigrant neighbors.
After many years, Saint Clement's Friday morning hospitality concluded in late September 2025. The parish shifted its hospitality support to St. Teresa of Avila's Saturday morning food pantry, which serves up to 120 guests each Saturday, while continuing its Sack Lunch program on an expanded Tuesday and Thursday drop-off schedule at the parish office.
Service Day is offered in the spring and fall each year, drawing close to 400 volunteers across roughly 25 service sites throughout Chicago and beyond. The 2026 Spring Service Day packed more than 50,000 meals at Feed My Starving Children and sorted and packed over 7,000 pounds of bread for the Greater Chicago Food Directory, among other projects across food pantries, refugee care pack deliveries, garden work at H.O.M.E., and cleanups at North Avenue Beach.
Volunteers also serve at Catholic Charities' Shared Table and soup kitchen on the third Friday of each month, prepare meals for the elderly and those in need through St. Teresa of Avila's Loaves and Fishes program on Fridays, mentor ESL learners at the Aquinas Literacy Center, lead reflection retreats for people recovering from homelessness and addiction through the Ignatian Spirituality Project, deliver groceries to refugee families through Exodus World Service, support the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels in Humboldt Park, and assist at Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly and Marillac St. Vincent Family Services food pantries.
Formation for Children and Teens
Religious Education is offered for children in grades one through eight who do not attend the parish school. Preparation for First Communion begins in first grade, with children typically receiving the sacrament on the first Saturday in May of second grade. Confirmation preparation begins in the fall of seventh grade and continues for two years, with the sacrament conferred in the spring of eighth grade. A high school youth group meets most Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for free dinner, conversation, and faith formation. Children's Liturgy of the Word, led by trained catechists, dismisses children ages three to six from the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass during the school year to hear the Gospel in their own setting.
The Sacraments and Marriage Preparation
Seven sacraments are celebrated regularly at Saint Clement. Baptisms for infants are most often celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays, with up to eight families gathered for a rite that includes the Liturgy of the Word, a brief homily, and the blessing of the font. Parents are required to participate in one preparation session before the baptism of their first child, offered once a month via Zoom. Adult baptism takes place through the OCIA program. The Sacrament of the Sick is available by appointment, and Anointing of the Sick can be scheduled through the parish office.
Marriage preparation requires contact with the parish at least six months in advance and includes a pre-nuptial questionnaire, the FOCCUS inventory, witness affidavits, a pre-Cana program, and the submission of baptismal and confirmation certificates. Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., with limited Friday dates available during the summer months. The wedding fee of $2,800 covers most costs, including organist, cantor, priest stipend, music planning, the wedding planner, and the wedding attendant. Couples must be registered parishioners or arrange for their preparation to be completed through Saint Clement if marrying elsewhere.
Funerals are coordinated through the parish office and include a meeting with the parish Funeral Team to plan readings and music. The suggested donation to the parish for funerals is $750.
Community Groups and Life Stages
Beyond the formal sacramental life, the parish offers a wide range of community groups. Clement Moms provides social and spiritual support for mothers of young children. Clement Dads is an informal group for fathers of all ages. Clement Couples connects married couples of all stages into parish life. Growing in Grace is a monthly gathering for parishioners age fifty-five and older. The Afternoon Book Club meets monthly in the parish school. The Affirmed Group welcomes members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community and meets monthly. Creation Care Ministry organizes the parish Laudato Si' Garden, just north of the Orchard Street Chapel entrance, and engages parishioners in environmental stewardship. Justice Ministry raises awareness of Catholic Social Teaching and mobilizes the parish around social issues. Life Groups are single-gender faith-sharing circles that meet regularly in members' homes.
A New Chapter with St. Teresa of Avila
Saint Clement and St. Teresa of Avila parishes have begun exploring a genuine partnership under one pastor - Fr. Peter Wojcik serves both - in what the parish describes as "not a merger, but a mission." Parishioners are welcome to worship at either location, and priests from Saint Clement preside at liturgies at St. Teresa of Avila on Sundays and Wednesdays. This partnership is part of the broader Renew My Church initiative of the Archdiocese of Chicago, which is fostering vitality and discipleship across parish communities. As part of that work, the parish belongs to a Lakeview-Lincoln Park grouping with St. Alphonsus, St. Bonaventure Oratory, the Cabrini Shrine, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Visiting Saint Clement
Saint Clement sits at 642 West Deming Place, a few minutes' walk from the Fullerton Red, Brown, and Purple Line station and several CTA bus routes. The parish has a free parking lot on the south side of Deming Place across from the church, open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week; double-parking occurs on Sundays and event-filled days. Parking validation is available for the SP+ Parking garage at 2316 North Lincoln - visitors can ask for a sticker at the parish office reception desk.
The church building is open for quiet prayer Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. There is a no-parking drop-off zone in front of the church for those with wheelchairs or mobility needs. A ramped sidewalk leads down to the parish office, and accessible restrooms serve the upper church. A T-coil hearing loop is installed in the west transept, and hearing loop receivers with headphones are available. During the current elevator outage, the chapel remains accessible through the parish office reception area, and the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass and 8:30 a.m. weekday Masses are celebrated in the chapel rather than the upper church.
Visitors are warmly invited to introduce themselves after Mass, when coffee and donuts are served on the plaza following the 8:00, 9:30, and 11:15 a.m. Sunday Masses. New members can register online and attend a New Member Orientation, which includes a shared meal, community time, and a spiritual gifts reflection.
A Parish Rooted in Mission
Saint Clement's stated mission is to be a dynamic Catholic community that invites all into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. The parish organizes its life around three commitments: welcoming and cherishing every person as made in the image and likeness of God; fostering a community of joy, humility, generosity, and discipleship; and listening to and answering the cry of the poor and marginalized. As the parish moves toward its 125th anniversary in 2030, its vision is to ignite and nurture every member's faith by doubling the number of parishioners actively engaged in the Parish Anchors - growing disciples, not just attendance.
The parish's Lilly Endowment grant from the Thriving Congregation Initiative, totaling $1.25 million over four years, is supporting the next chapter of that work by funding a hospitality and events manager and a director of faith engagement programs, and by helping to codify the parish's young adult engagement pathway so that it can serve as a model for other faith communities. The grant is named after Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Thriving Congregation Initiative.