Fr. James' Letters

March 24, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

I was doing Stations of the Cross a couple weeks ago with our Religious Education classes, and one of the 4th graders asked me how Jesus was able to hang on the cross. I told the student that the nails fixed him in place: one in each hand and one through his feet. Then the student asked if ropes were used to hold Jesus in place. I said the Roman soldiers might have used ropes around his wrists, but we’re not sure. We know they used nails.

Read more: March 24, 2024

March 17, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

In our Gospel scene this weekend we hear about some Greeks wanting to see Jesus. When a Greek wants to “see” someone, they don’t just want to see their face. They want to see the person’s soul. Because the Greeks are philosophers (think of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, who said “the unexamined life is not worth living”), they want to really know who Jesus is. They want to see if Jesus is worth loving and following.

Read more: March 17, 2024

March 10, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

Why do you think Christ chose to suffer and die on the cross?

There are many answers to this question. You could take the strictly theological approach and say Jesus was atoning for our sins by making the ultimate sacrifice and greatest act of love to God the Father. You could take the spiritual approach and say Jesus was showing us what it means to really live. Let me take that second, “spiritual approach” right now.

Read more: March 10, 2024

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