Fr. James' Letters

October 1, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

A parishioner recently gave me the book, The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur (thank you, Mary!). I enjoyed reading this saintly woman’s diary. If you’re not familiar with Elisabeth Leseur (don’t worry, I wasn’t really either), she was a married woman from France who lived from 1866-1914. Her marriage to her husband Felix was a happy one except for one fact: Felix was an atheist. Elisabeth was a devout Catholic, so this was a strain on her. But she never said anything to her husband. In fact, her husband really had no idea how hard this was for Elisabeth until after she died and he read her diaries. Felix was so moved by what he read, that not only did he convert to Catholicism, he became a Catholic priest. He was eventually responsible for publishing her diary and letters.

Read more: October 1, 2023

September 24, 2023

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday’s Gospel parable about the workers who all receive the same wage, though they all labored for different hours in the day, is one of my favorite parables. It’s challenging, make no mistake, but it’s beautiful.

Read more: September 24, 2023

September 17, 2023

Saint Francis of Assisi supposedly used to carry a skull with him. It served as a reminder of his frailty. Memento mori.

Read more: September 17, 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