Fr. James' Letters

July 3, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

New Melleray Trappist Abbey, where I was on retreat a couple weeks ago, is somewhat out in the country. Once a day I would try to get some exercise and would go walking or running through the countryside. The rolling hills allowed me to see for miles and miles, and there was nothing but beautiful farmland. I ran through these long, straight roads that cut through the acres beyond acres of corn and soy crops, and I thought to myself, “this is how we are able to feed the earth’s population.” The land gave me a great appreciation for our creation and how God has blessed us. There won’t be a shortage of food. These crops, which I was running through, will go to feed us, or feed animals that will feed us, or go to make machines and technology that will feed us.

Read more: July 3, 2022

June 26, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

This is such an interesting scene with Jesus and his disciples. Our Lord is rejected by a Samaritan town and my boys, James and John (I’m named after James so I always take note of his actions in the Gospels), ask the Lord if they can send down fire to destroy the town.  Jesus says, “Yeah, sure, let’s burn it down.”

Read more: June 26, 2022

June 19, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

I would argue our Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Saint Paul of the Cross is our most impressive “feat.” And we have many impressive feats: our large school, our beautiful campus, our food pantry, our many and great groups (too many to name individually here). But 24/7 adoration and love for our Lord is beautiful. I myself try to do one of my daily holy hours in the perpetual adoration chapel, and I’m always impressed how many people I see in there.

Read more: June 19, 2022

Who is Fr. James?

Father James Wallace grew up in Winnetka, Illinois and attended Sts. Faith Hope and Charity grammar school, New Trier High School, and then The George Washington University in Washington DC, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science in 2007. He attended seminary at The Pontifical North American College in Rome and was ordained a priest in 2012 for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In addition to being the pastor of Saint Paul of the Cross Parish, he serves as a canon lawyer for the Archdiocese, a dean in Vicariate II, and a professor of canon law and spiritual director at Mundelein Seminary. He is also one of the featured Mercy Home Sunday Mass celebrants, airing Sundays at 9:30am on WGN.

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Contact Information

St. Paul of the Cross

320 South Washington Street
Park Ridge, IL 60068


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Phone: (847) 825-7605

Mass Schedule

UC = Upper Church
HFC = Holy Family Chapel 

Monday - Friday

6:25 am UC

8:30 am UC

Saturday

8:30 am UC - weekday Mass

4:30 pm UC - vigil

Sunday

7:30 am UC

9:00 am UC

10:30 am UC and HFC

12:00 pm UC