History of St. Eulalia Parish

Looking to Our Past with Gratitude, and to Our Future with Hope

In June of 1926, the Chancellor’s Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago purchased the site along Eight Avenue, where the church used to stand, at a cost of $23,000. The property on Lexington Street from Eighth to Ninth was acquired also, for it was decided that this location, because of its central position, would be the most advantageous for serving the faithful of a future parish.

It was not long before the need for a church in the area became pressing and His Eminence, George Cardinal Mundelein, on June 13, 1927 formally established the parish of Saint Eulalia in South Maywood.

In September 1928, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary answered the request of the pastor by sending six sisters to take charge of new St. Eulalia School.
In 1948 arrangements were made to build a new convent to house the parish sisters and to accommodate the new sisters who would be needed to teach the additional classes after the completion of the needed classrooms.

Hurried motorists speeding by on the Eisenhower Expressway cannot fail to notice, even if only in a momentary flash, the modern church and tower of St. Eulalia Built not only as a lasting monument to the glory of God, but also as a practical reassertion of the faith of the people in their community, the new St. Eulalia church reflects an artistic blend of both the ancient and the modern in church design.

After a Fund Raising Campaign on February 18, 1962 the construction for a new parish was approved and in April 1, 1962 the work began. In order to establish historical and cultural ties back to the very beginnings of Christianity, the general Romanesque basilica plan and arch system of structure was chosen. In addition, the free standing tower with its mosaics of the crucifixion, as well as the arcade effect of the exterior, show early European influences. A touch of Spanish flavor is added on the interior by the intricate detailing of the suspended ceiling. The First Mass was celebrated in Palm Sunday March 22, 1964.