UGCC sells historic church in Chicago for $175,000
St. Michael's Church in Chicago, sold by the Uniates. Photo: Taras Petrishyn
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has sold the land and building of St. Michael’s Church in Chicago, Illinois, for $175,000. The news was shared on social media by community activist Taras Petryshyn.
The sale took place on October 20, 2025. Construction of the church, located at 12211 S. Parnell Ave, Chicago, IL 60628, began 107 years ago. As a result, the Ukrainian community abruptly lost its real estate, its land, and a piece of its spiritual and artistic heritage.
According to Petryshyn, the church building contains a unique gold-accented mural by Mykhailo Dmytrenko, a renowned Ukrainian diaspora artist. The church also held around two dozen stained-glass windows believed to have been crafted in Italy.
One broker estimated that the stained-glass windows alone could be worth between 200,000 and 250,000 euros – meaning the artwork inside the church was likely far more valuable than the price for which the entire property was sold.
“All of this is now lost to the Ukrainian community,” Petryshyn concluded.
The reasons for selling the historic church have not been disclosed. The UGCC has not issued an official statement regarding the sale.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that while speaking to the diaspora in Australia, Shevchuk opposed a peace plan and urged not to cede territories.
Read also
The Ministry of Culture allowed the transfer of the "Afghan" church of the Lavra to the OCU
The Ministry of Culture is ready to consider transferring the temple-monument to Afghan war veterans in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to the OCU – Vice Prime Minister Berezhna announced this in the Verkhovna Rada.
On Cyprus, the enthronement of the new Metropolitan of Paphos took place amid protests
The enthronement ceremony of the new Pafos hierarch was performed by Archbishop George of Cyprus in the cathedral of Saint Theodore.
Official complains that believers are defending monastery in Kremenets
Director of the Kremenetsky Reserve Vasily Ilchishin reported that the abbess of the monastery was absent and refused to communicate with representatives of the executive service.
Two monks tonsured into Great Schema at Sviatohirsk Lavra
By the blessing of Metropolitan Arseniy, the tonsure was performed privately: for two of the monastery's eldest monks, aged 89 and 82.
Phanar head mentions Dumenko at Liturgy with Patriarchs of Bulgaria and Romania
The Bulgarian and Romanian Churches have not made decisions to recognize the OCU.
TRC abducts rector of UOC Dormition Church in Kyiv
TRC employees detained Father Oleksandr Drobiazko because of his affiliation with the UOC.