History of Mar Sargis Parish 

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord." 

- Psalm 122:1 

The history of the Assyrians in Chicago goes back to the days of WWI when they started to arrive in the United States in order to flee from persecution from the hands of the Ottomans in Hakkari, Turkey. From that moment on, the Assyrian population increased day by day reaching nearly 300 families by year 1953. These families had a parish where they came together and praised to the name of our Lord under the Parish of Mar Sargis the Martyr in Lincoln Park (316 W. Menomonee St.). 

Due to the demographic change and the deterioration of the neighborhood, the parishioners with the approval of the Late Patriarch Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII had decided to move the church into a different neighborhood, with the intent of purchasing a Church that was within their budget and met their needs. Majority of the Assyrians at that time worked in factories and were full of faith towards their Church and had a genuine zeal towards their nation. 

With God’s aid and the Churches faithful passion, a new parish was purchased, presently located at 1850 W. Cuyler. With passion and hard work, the parishioners started to remodel the newly purchased parish according to the liturgical architecture of the Church of the East for a period of 6 months. It is worth mentioning also that the previous owners of the church building were Lutherans. 

On Palm Sunday, March 29, 1953 at 8 A.M., Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII began the consecration of the new Mar Sargis Parish. The priests and deacons that participated in the consecration alongside the Patriarch were the following: Reverend Ishaq Rehana, Reverend Harry Sutcliffe, Deacon Yacob Sargis, Deacon Bodakh Diqasha, Deacon Pnueil Yosip and Deacon Sait Yacob. After the completion, of the Rite of the Blessing of the Altar, Mar Eshia Shimun XXIII started the Mysteries of the Holy Qurbana, as the entrance of our Lord in Jerusalem was celebrated, with bells of Glory, the singing voices of nearly 20 choir members and 400 faithful laymen. In the evening a banquet was held in the church basement, in honor of His Holiness, the Patriarch on the occasion of the consecration of the new cathedral. A capacity crowd of 350 people were present. Gabriel Sargis, Chairman of the Church committee, welcomed the guests and introduced the Toastmaster, Narsay J. Serges. Guest Speakers included Berkeley E. F. Gage, British Consul General of Chicago; the Rt. Rev. Howard L. Kennedy, rector of St. James Episcopal Church, Rev. Cuthbert Pratt, rector of St. Chrysostom’s Church; Rev. Irwin St. John Tucker, rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and former president of the Patriarchal Council, and editor of the Light from the East; John Astley-Cock, assistant to the Religion Editor of the Chicago Tribune and Rev. Harry Sutcliffe, assistant parish priest of Mar Sargis church. Additional guest of honor included the British Vice-Consul of Chicago, Mr. Lawrence P.S. L ‘Estrange, Rev. Dr. Paul E. Macy, Interim Minister of the First Baptist Church of Evanston and Mrs. Cuthbert Pratt. 

It can be honorably mentioned that Mar Sargis Parish served as the Patriarchal headquarters of the East during 1940 through 1953, with a few months later relocated to Turlock, California. In the year of 1975-1980, Mar Sargis Parish was also made to serve as the Bishopric headquarters for His Grace Bishop Mar Aprim Khamis. In 1980, Mar Gewargis Church was purchased and consecrated to be assigned as the new Bishopric for the Chicago land area. The Priests that have served the Parish of Mar Sargis since the day of its purchase are as follows: Reverend Talwardi, Reverend Ishaia, Reverend Isaac Rehana, Reverend Harry Sutcliffe, Reverend Manno, Reverend Shawel Nissan, Reverend Archdeacon Aprim Debaz, Reverend Guliat Atto, Reverend Chorbishop Athanasis, Reverend Semaan Daood and the current parish priest Reverend Archdeacon William Toma. 

The Consecration of the new Mar Sargis Church location at 5050 Church Street, Skokie IL, occurred on April 30th, 2022.