Ukrainian Village in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church Consecration
Photographed by Sean Flynn, June 28, 2024
1. Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church Consecration Marker
Цей наріжний камінь Храму Св. Володимира і Ольги в Чикаго поблагословив Блаженніши Кир Йосиф VII, περβοιεραρх помісної Української Католицької Церкви, під час ѵ-γο Архиєпископського Синоду в Римі
this page online
This cornerstone of the Church of Saints Volodymyr and Olha in Chicago was blessed by His Most Reverend Josyf, Archbishop of the local Ukrainian Catholic Church, during the Archbishops' Synod in Rome on November 1, 1971, and was ceremonially laid on October 14, 1972.
Erected 1972.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical date for this entry is November 1, 1971.
Location. 41° 53.705′ N, 87° 41.054′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Ukrainian Village. It can be reached from North Oakley Boulevard north of West Superior Street. The marker is to the right of the main entrance into Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 739 North Oakley
Photographed by Sean Flynn, June 28, 2024
2. Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church
The marker can be seen to the right of the main entrance. Three other similar markers can be found near this entrance, about other visits by Ukrainian Catholic leaders, including two by Cardinal Josyf.
Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s West Side. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ukraine War and Flight MH17 Memorial (here, next to this marker); Patriarch Josyf Slipyj's 1973 Visit (here, next to this marker); Patriarch Josyf Cardinal Slipyj (here, next to this marker); Patriarch Josyf Slipyj's 1976 Visit (a few steps from this marker); Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk’s 2018 Visit (a few steps from this marker); Ukrainian Village (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Ukrainian Village (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Ukrainian Village (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
More about this marker. Three similar markers are embedded into the church nearby, all dedicated to visits by patriarchs of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Regarding Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church Consecration. According to news reports from the time, the leaders of the Ukrainian rite of the Catholic Church held the 1971 synod in Rome (referenced on the plaque) in defiance of the Vatican. Cardinal Josyf and 15 bishops from across the world convened with bitterness about what they perceived as the Vatican's failure to help the millions of Ukrainian Catholics who they said were being persecuted by the Soviet Union. While Pope Paul VI, concerned about upsetting diplomatic efforts with the Soviets, told them they did not have the authority to hold the synod, the group met with the hopes of establishing semi-autonomous status for the Ukrainian church. Josyf, the archbishop of Ukraine, had spent 18 years as a prisoner in a Soviet labor camp before being released in 1963. He died in 1984, not having returned to Ukraine since his imprisonment in the 1940s.
Also see . . .
1. Sts. Volodomyr and Olha church official site (Ukrainian language). (Submitted on July 1, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. NY Times, Nov 5, 1971: "Ukrainian Prelates End 'Synod' in Rome". A brief recap of the synod held by Ukrainian Catholic leaders in Rome in 1971. (Submitted on July 1, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 218 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 30, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 2. submitted on June 29, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A confirmation of the Ukrainian translation (by a native Ukrainian human speaker) • Can you help?
