History:

Rev Thomas Burke celebrated the very first Mass in this church on May 19, 1935. Santa Maria del Popolo (St. Mary of the People), named by Cardinal Mundelein after his titular church in Rome, was dedicated on September 22, 1935.

On September 5, 1950, a four-room school, built onto the church, was opened with an enrollment of 187 children. Four Sisters of St. Dominic were their teachers. In the Summer of 1952, Monsignor Peter Meegan was appointed pastor and during his time many parish ministries and activities were established. In September 1953, the convent was completed and occupied by the five Sisters teaching at Santa Maria School.

The school enrollment in 1959 - 1960 exceeded the 1000 mark and in 1962 a new church-school with ten classrooms was built where our church stands today. The new buildings were dedicated by Cardinal Meyer on May 3, 1964. In the late '60s, the first Spanish Mass was celebrated to accommodate the large growing numbers of Spanish-speaking migrant workers in the area.

In 1971, Rev John Lane was named pastor and after him Rev James Kinn was appointed Pastor. He oversaw the dedication of a new rectory in 1984. Most recently, a new Parish Center-gymnasium was constructed and it was dedicated on March 12, 2006 when Fr. Robert Aguirre was pastor. In November 2006, Fr. David Arcila, OCD became Parish Administrator until present.