Sta. Ines de Bohemia

Almost exactly a month ago, I began working at Taller de José’s second office site at St. Agnes of Bohemia, which is still in the Little Village neighborhood, about a mile west of our main office. My official job title is now “St. Agnes Site Coordinator,” which I think makes me sound much more grown up and managerial than I feel :) Essentially, most of my job duties are the same, I just happen to do them at another location 3 days a week in order to help Taller de José reach out to more clients in a different part of the neighborhood. But there are a few differences, and in the past month I’ve also learned a lot about what a wonderful place St. Agnes is!

The parish’s name, Santa Inés de Bohemia, is very telling of the history of the parish and neighborhood. Founded in 1904, the church (then Blessed Agnes of Bohemia) was built to serve a growing Czech population in the neighborhood, but in the early 1970s it became clear that an increasing Latino population required masses (and a myriad of other services) in Spanish. Now, the parish offers 9 masses each Sunday, 7 of which are in Spanish, and the pastor points out that the majority of people at the English masses would understand the Spanish just as well. But beyond the masses and other sacraments the church provides, it is also involved in the community in so many other ways (The parish website says there are 40 different clubs and groups within the parish!). In the same way that Taller de José was founded by listening and responding to the needs of the community, our staff has tried to partner with St. Agnes to support the programs they are already doing well and fill in where they see any gaps in their services.

One of the ways I do this is by assisting with the “Fussy Baby” group, also known as “Little Explorers.” The group is open to parents with children age 0-3, and provides an opportunity for the children to play and the parents to chat with specialists trained in child development. My favorite part, of course, is the end, when we get to sing and then eat the snack I’ve prepared. The group is one aspect of the parish’s effort to educate parents and decrease the rates of infant mortality, which are extremely high, even compared to other neighborhoods of similar socioeconomic status. My coworker, the previous St. Agnes Site Coordinator, is heavily involved in research being conducted by Masters of Public Health students from UIC in which they’re trying to find the causes of these high rates. Preparing snack is definitely different than our typical ways of companioning those in the community, but as one of my coworkers pointed out, “playmate” is one of the definitions of “compañera” (our job title)!

We also partner with another group that is researching ways to educate Latinos about diabetes by hosting classes through the churches in the neighborhood. I learned at the staff meeting a few weeks ago that St. Agnes also offers senior groups (including Zumba classes! I was definitely surprised to come upon a group of zumbaing seniors in the social hall one morning), a mentoring program for at risk youth, a food pantry, and they are undergoing the process of “parish transformation,” a program through the Archdiocese which seeks to help parishes revitalize their mission and stabilize their finances. From what I have seen so far, St. Agnes is a parish that truly seeks to “practice what it preaches” and really engage the community beyond the four walls of the church. I’m really looking forward to learning more about the parish and finding ways that Taller de José can continue to respond to the community. And I'm so grateful that the generous donations from my family and friends in support of my running will support my participation in the mission of both St. Agnes and Taller de José. Though my marathon training will be done in just two weeks (!), I've learned a lot during the process that I know will stick with me for a long time. In much the same way, the over $1150 I've received in donations and pledges so far will have a lasting impact on the people with whom I get to work every day.