Since 1882, St. Paul's by-the-Lake has been bringing the love of Christ to Chicago each and every day.

A warm welcome for you!

Founded in 1882 in the Anglican tradition of the Episcopal Church, St. Paul's Church by-the-Lake is a small but caring parish family serving the northeast side of Chicago known as Rogers Park. Our spiritual home is located on the northwest corner of Estes Ave. and Ashland Ave. It is a quiet residential area just three blocks from Lake Michigan. St. Paul's is a neighborhood church seeking to meet the spiritual needs of a diverse community.

a place of mission

Our mission is evangelical: to bring all persons to the knowledge and love of God, respecting the dignity and freedom of every human being.

We are a faith community of persons married and single; young and old; rich and poor; liberal and conservative; white, Asian, Hispanic, West Indian and African American. Our common goal is to "follow Christ, worship God every Sunday in His Church, give, work and pray for the spread of His Kingdom." (‘28 BCP Catechism)

A Place of Worship

In following Jesus, our call and duty is to worship God in spirit and truth, in the beauty of holiness. Our worship to the Glory of God is both Catholic and Evangelical, sacramentally centered in the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice of Jesus, commonly called the Mass. We are a traditional Anglican Church centered on the liturgy found in the Book of Common Prayer. On Sunday, Low Mass (without music) and Sung or Solemn Masses with incense are celebrated with the assistance of organ and choir, including plainsong chant, minor propers, anthems, and service music. On Major Holy Days, the liturgy is a Solemn Mass with special music. Mass is also celebrated daily Tuesday-Thursday each week in the Chapel of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Sacrament of Holy Unction is administered at the Mass on first Thursdays, and confessions are heard on Sundays. Our Parish Church has six shrines with votive lights: the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of the Apostles, St. Paul the Apostle, our Lady of Walsingham, St. Joseph and St. Michael the Archangel.

A place to fellowship

We are a compassionate and caring group and would love to have you join us! We connect each week during Coffee Hour after both Masses on Sundays, or at book studies on Sundays and Thursdays, where we share our stories, hopes and dreams, and our joys and concerns. Through these connections we strengthen, encourage and support each other. 

Our fellowship includes many projects throughout the year. Members of the parish regularly help with the maintenance of the building and grounds or planting flowers. A dedicated group of volunteers including the Altar Guild help enable our beautiful worship. Others setup and host our Coffee Hours each week.

Other fellowship times include many parish meals, such as the Annual Anniversary celebration, a Caribbean Luncheon, Fall Fest, and St. Nicholas celebration.

A place to learn

This parish is a place where people study the Catholic faith of historic Christianity and share their own faith.  

Adult Education occurs primarily via the Rector’s Study each Sunday starting at 9:30a in the Rector’s Office between masses, focused on material such as C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, the Apocrypha, the Life of Christ by Fulton J Sheen, and others. The women of our parish gather on Thursday evenings for a book study of their own as well.

Special education sessions also occur periodically throughout the year, such as First Communion Class, Confirmation Claass, and special Lenten Friday sessions.

While on pause for a season, our Sunday School program for children starts right after Communion so children can go to the 10:30am Mass with their families. It focuses on teaching the basics of our Christian faith, through scripture of the Mass, stories, games and songs. Special emphasis is placed on learning about and celebrating liturgical seasons and the lives of the saints.

A place to reach out

St. Paul’s is a place to put words into action. We seek ways to make life a little kinder to all God’s creatures. Our outreach begins with an awareness that our baptism is the foundation and source of grace to be the people of God, ministers of His faith and love.

Our church for decades has been a refugee champion church for various refugee groups that have arrived to Rogers Park, including Sudanese, Congolese, Burmese, Ukrainians, and others. We’ve welcomed them by providing clothes and household goods, Welcome to America packs in partnership with Exodus World Service with furnishings for their apartments when they arrive, and sessions for training for life skills in America. We also host a refugee “free store” available to the community.

Some other examples of our outreach include collecting food and staples for local pantries, including collecting money on “Souper” Bowl Sunday for our local soup kitchen. We host free animal vaccination and microchipping for pets and also offer a St. Francis blessing as well for them. At Christmas, we adopt a needy family to provide holiday cheer, food, clothing and gifts. And we open our doors for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings when there is a need.

The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion Welcome You!

The Episcopal Church U.S.A. is one of the 39 provinces of the Anglican Communion, a part of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. You are welcome and invited to share in this international family of faith.

Historically we are heirs of the Church of England, rooted in a common life of prayer under the primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The 99th Archbishop of Canterbury described the beliefs of Anglicans as a church that has “no creeds of its own, no sacrament of its own, no faith or doctrine of its own. We have only the creeds, faith, sacraments and doctrine of Christ’s One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.”

Visitors are always warmly welcomed. The canons allow all baptized Christians who are admitted to communion, who are truly sorry for and repentant of their sins, and who believe in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of Jesus’ body and blood to receive the Eucharist.

To become a member of the Episcopal Church, you must be baptized and confirmed or received by the Bishop from another branch of the Catholic (Orthodox) Church. To join St. Paul's, you may transfer from another Episcopal or Anglican parish. Or, if you are a Christian from another denomination, you may attend instruction and receive the Sacrament of Holy Confirmation by a Bishop in the Apostolic Succession. And if you are a non-Christian, you may join by the Catechumenate (adult instruction) and receiving Sacrament of Holy Baptism.