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.

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