History
In 1927, Cardinal Mundelein, archbishop of Chicago, appointed Fr. J. Leo Sharp pastor of a new Roman Catholic parish to be established for the people of the Clearing neighborhood. The Cardinal told Fr. Sharp that he wanted the new parish to be a multi-ethnic, American parish - not a parish tied to one specific ethnic group. The new parish was to be designed to serve all Catholics in the area. A parcel of land was purchased from the Jousma farm on 62nd & Austin Ave & planning for the new parish began. Because so many Catholics in the area were in need of a place to worship God & because the new church still needed to be built, the first Sunday Masses of the new parish were celebrated by Fr. Sharp in the Clearing Town Hall on June 19, 1927. It is on that date that St. Symphorosa Parish was officially established. The official name of the parish was designated