{"id":101338,"date":"2026-08-02T03:50:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T03:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=101338"},"modified":"2026-08-02T03:50:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T03:50:30","slug":"parish-named-for-sts-martha-mary-and-lazarus-keeps-the-faith-on-chicagos-south-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/parish-named-for-sts-martha-mary-and-lazarus-keeps-the-faith-on-chicagos-south-side\/","title":{"rendered":"Parish named for Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus keeps the faith on Chicago\u2019s South Side"},"content":{"rendered":"

July 29 is the feast day of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. It\u2019s a relatively new feast day, implemented fewer than six years ago. The faithful might remember these siblings \u2014 especially since they are mentioned in all four Gospels \u2014 as friends and disciples of Jesus.<\/p>\n

Individually, each of the three siblings has important lessons to teach. Martha, the oldest sibling, has a heart for service but is also anxious and worried about many things; Jesus encourages her to focus on the contemplation of Jesus himself, as her sister Mary has done. And Jesus\u2019 raising of Lazarus from the dead provides a powerful witness to the eventual resurrection of the body. Together, the siblings display admirable qualities of unity and love.<\/p>\n

For one Catholic parish, Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus Parish<\/a> on the South Side of Chicago, the patronage of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus serves as a symbol of the unity that has come about through the merging of three previously distinct parishes into one new and diverse community.<\/p>\n

Father Mark Thomas Ameh, the pastor when the parishes merged and a native of Nigeria, arrived at the parish in July 2023 after previously ministering in Las Vegas. He told EWTN News at the time that the church was built originally as St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, but amid an ongoing archdiocese-wide consolidation process, \u201cRenew My Church<\/a>,\u201d the parish was merged in 2022 with two others and renamed to reflect the new community.<\/p>\n

\n \"Father
Father Mark Thomas Ameh in front of the high altar of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus Parish in Chicago. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Mark Thomas Ameh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ameh was not in Chicago when the renaming of the merged parish took place, but he said a person who was there told him the name was chosen to reflect the fact that the new parish was made of three former ones coming together. <\/p>\n

Parish office manager Alfreda Rogers told EWTN News that it is the only parish in Illinois named for the sibling saints. <\/p>\n

Despite its triple patronage, the church still has a statue of St. Margaret of Scotland on the high altar and is also known as \u201cSt. Margaret of Scotland Church.\u201d In 2026, the church celebrates 150 years<\/a> and the parish will hold a gala after a Mass on Aug. 2 to mark the occasion. <\/p>\n

Abeh, a priest of the Missionary Society of St. Paul, described the parish as a \u201cvibrant\u201d church of about 500 registered parishioners when it began. Today, according Rogers, the parish serves about 200 families and offers two Masses on Sundays. There is also a Catholic school associated with the church.<\/p>\n

Rogers said in a recent interview with Fox 32 Chicago<\/a> that the parish is focused on bringing youth back to the Church and continuing to serve the community.<\/p>\n

Father Donatus C. Mgbeajuo, also a priest of the Missionary Society of St. Paul, took over as pastor in July 2024, and Deacon Herbert D. Johnson just became parish pastoral director on July 1.<\/p>\n

\n \"The
The high altar of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus Parish in Chicago. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Mark Thomas Ameh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chicago\u2019s South Side has a reputation for being dangerous but perhaps now is even more famous for being near the childhood home of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.<\/p>\n

A 2021 DECREE<\/a> from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments said Pope Francis had included Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in the General Roman Calendar \u201cconsidering the important evangelical witness they offered in welcoming the Lord Jesus into their home, in listening to him attentively, in believing that he is the resurrection and the life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Das memorial of St. Martha<\/a> was already included on July 29 in the General Roman Calendar before the Second Vatican Council, but St. Lazarus and St. Mary had been originally left off due to uncertainty about the identity of Mary Magdalene.<\/p>\n

So, why change the memorial to all three siblings instead of Martha alone?<\/p>\n

The decree explained that these uncertainties \u201chave been resolved in recent studies and times\u201d and pointed out that Mary and Lazarus are already commemorated on July 29 in the \u201cRoman Martyrology,\u201d the Church\u2019s official catalog of martyrs and saints.<\/p>\n

This story was first published on July 29, 2023, and has been updated.<\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/parish-named-for-sts-martha-mary-and-lazarus-keeps-the-faith-in-chicago-s-south-side<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

July 29 is the feast day of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. It\u2019s a relatively new feast day, implemented fewer than six years ago. The faithful might remember these siblings \u2014 especially since they are mentioned in all four Gospels \u2014 as friends and disciples of Jesus. Individually, each of the three siblings has important […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-101338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54826,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/who-was-lazarus\/","url_meta":{"origin":101338,"position":0},"title":"Who was Lazarus in the Bible?","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Januar 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Discover the story of Lazarus in the Bible, his significance, and the miraculous events surrounding his life and resurrection.","rel":"","context":"In "Christian Education"","block_context":{"text":"Christian Education","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/render-87.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/render-87.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/render-87.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/render-87.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/render-87.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3345,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/lazarus-miracle-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":101338,"position":1},"title":"The Lazarus Miracle: Did Jesus Really Raise Him From the Dead?","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Mai 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Discover the truth behind the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus! 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