Fr. James' Letters

August 6, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

The Transfiguration of the Lord. What an awesome scene. It’s so awesome, in fact, it receives its own feast day, which we celebrate on August 6th. Because August 6th this year falls on a Sunday, we skip what would have been the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time and celebrate the liturgy for the Transfiguration.

Read more: August 6, 2023

July 30, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

In my homily a few weeks ago on the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (don’t worry if you can’t remember it, I can’t even remember what I preached this morning), I trashed King Solomon, David’s son. Yes, Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem and put Israel on the map with its wealth and armies and cities, but he also left Israel in serious debt. He actually sold off a portion of Israel in the north to a foreign power, enslaving those people, and imposed heavy taxes on the rest of people. Who cares that the temple is pretty when you’re dying of starvation?

Read more: July 30, 2023

July 23, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

“For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved” (Wisdom 12:17).

Read more: July 23, 2023

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