Corpus Christi Catholic Church (WTTW News)

Next month, a wave of Chicago-area Catholic church consolidations will take place, merging parishes as part of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s “Renew My Church” initiative. Among them will be five churches in and around Bronzeville.

The Rev. Michael Pfleger appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Sept. 19, 2019. (WTTW News)

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, cleared by an Archdiocese of Chicago investigation into claims that he sexually abused several boys decades ago, returned to the pulpit of his longtime church on Sunday for the first time in five months. 

The Rev. Michael Pfleger appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Sept. 19, 2019. (WTTW News)

Cardinal Blase Cupich reinstated the Rev. Michael Pfleger as senior pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church after an investigation of allegations of sexual abuse of a minor more than 40 years ago “concluded that there is insufficient reason to suspect Father Pfleger is guilty of these allegations.”

Joseph Saunders and other members of Chicago’s St. Sabina Catholic Church rally outside the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Chicago demanding resolution of the investigation into allegations against the Rev. Michael Pfleger on Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021 in Chicago.

After the first allegations surfaced in January, the Archdiocese of Chicago temporarily removed Michael Pfleger to investigate, leading to fierce backlash from parishioners trying to clear his name. They’ve flooded the archdiocese’s phone lines and staged rallies. They’ve also challenged the accusers’ accounts.

The Archbishop Quigley Center in Chicago. (WTTW News)

The Archdiocese of Chicago said Wednesday it plans to publicly list the names of “credibly accused” priests belonging to religious orders after questions over the archdiocese’s transparency.

The Rev. Michael Pfleger appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Sept. 19, 2019. (WTTW News)

Cardinal Blase Cupich asked the Rev. Michael Pfleger to step down as senior pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church while the Archdiocese of Chicago investigates an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor more than 40 years ago. 

(WTTW News)

The Archdiocese of Chicago has announced schools will have the option to transition to remote learning after Thanksgiving, but says it’s not yet clear how many schools will choose to do that. 

(Brandis Friedman / WTTW News)
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CPS will start the school year with an all-remote learning plan, but Catholic schools in the city and suburbs are taking a different approach. How will the school system keep everyone safe, and are teachers and parents on board?

Archbishop Blase Cupich appears on “Chicago Tonight” on May 4, 2016. (WTTW News)

Mass at all Archdiocese of Chicago churches will be suspended starting Saturday until further notice in an effort to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. “This is not a decision I made lightly,” Archbishop Blase Cupich said in a statement. 

Plant-based “meats” are creating a dilemma for Catholics during Lent. (T.Tseng / Flickr)

Chicago made national news this week when an archdiocesan official suggested plant-based “meats” are a cheat during Lent’s meatless Fridays.

Children of Peace School on the Near West Side is one of 30 Catholic schools that will be funded through the newly announced deal. (WTTW News)

A 10-year deal between a local nonprofit and the Archdiocese of Chicago will pour millions into 30 Catholic schools on the city’s South and West sides.

St. Pius V School is listed as one of 30 Catholic schools included in th deal. (St. Pius V School / Facebook)

The Archdiocese of Chicago has struck a deal with a nonprofit backed by some of the city’s wealthiest donors to help address its financial challenges.

Jeff Anderson, an attorney for victims of sexual abuse by clergy, is joined by abuse victim Joe Iacono as he speaks during a press conference in Chicago, Sept. 17, 2019. (AP Photo / Teresa Crawford)

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has paid $80 million to victims of sexual abuse by clergy represented by a single law firm alone since 2000, the Minnesota-based attorney who heads the firm told reporters.

This undated shows the Rev. Augustine Tolton. Pope Francis has positioned for sainthood a former slave and the first known black priest in America. (Photo courtesy the Diocese of Springfield via AP)

Pope Francis on Wednesday deemed the Rev. Augustine Tolton, the first known black Roman Catholic priest in the United States, to be “venerable,” positioning the former slave for possible sainthood.

(Peter Griffin / Publicdomainpictures.net)

The Rev. John Smyth has been removed from the Archdiocese of Chicago’s ministry while it investigates accusations of sexual abuse against the longtime priest. 

Loyola University Chicago (hearkencreative / Flickr)

With current enrollment of just 20 students and a small incoming class projected, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced it will close St. Joseph College Seminary.