The Mission of St. Augustine’s Church

We invite people into the midst of the Church, which is the Body of Christ. We connect with God and one another. We equip ourselves as disciples. We ask God to send us forth to share Christ’s mission of peace, service, and justice in the world.

At St. Augustine’s we strive to live into our mission with grace and generosity. Recognizing that we do not exist for ourselves alone, we support the ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago and the broader Episcopal Church’s witness to the world.

Click here for St. A’s Annual Report of 2023.

The History of St. Augustine’s Church

Our Formation

We began as a collection of families worshiping together at home with the plan to become a recognized parish community. This was common at the time as many families had moved north from Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.  These families brought with them many of their parish traditions from the city including those from the Church of the Ascension.  A leader in this original group, Thomas B. Morris, was ultimately licensed as a lay leader by the bishop.

Two decades later, in 1892, our church was officially named in honor of St. Augustine of Hippo.  In 1897 we had our first priest, Frank Brandt, and in 1898 we broke ground on a new building and laid a cornerstone which remains on the Sanctuary building to this day.  We celebrated our first public worship later that summer on July 10, 1898.

Key Leaders of Change

• Rev. Charles Hubert Carleton, our rector in 1919, ushered in a strong sense of lay involvement that remains one of our defining characteristics. 

• Rev. Rodger McColl, our rector in 1941, oversaw the expansion of our parish hall, kitchen and initial offices.

• Rev. Robert Reister, came to St. A’s in time for Christmas in 1954, and remained with us for nine years. In 1955, the parish installed a 17-rank Möller pipe organ in the chancel. The organ was refurbished and expanded to 25 ranks in 1997. More details on the organ are on the music page here. In 1959 he was our rector when we moved the altar away from the back wall to be in front of the choir below a suspended cross.  St. A’s was the first church in the diocese to have moved the altar.

• Rev. Joseph Howell, in 1966, together with other faith leaders and at the invitation of the Chicago Freedom Movement, marched with Rev. Martin Luther King during his historic visit to Chicago. During his seven year tenure Rev. Howell empathically guided the parish through a time of great social unrest with a unifying conviction to moral responsibility and social inclusion. This included electing the first woman as Senior Warden on the Vestry, and inviting the first African-American priest to preach at St. A’s.  

• In 1968, Rev. Jerry Anderson, was entrusted to lead our youth group that also included many of their friends outside the parish. He continued as an associate priest under Rev. Mazza. In the years after leaving St. A’s he would launch an impressive career in AIDS ministry.  

• Rev. Joseph Mazza, who served for eighteen years, in 1976 sponsored the first female candidate to serve at St. A’s, Rev. Janice Gordon.  He also oversaw the design and building of our Columbarium and presided over the first interments.

• Rev. David Musgrave, who served for sixteen years, continued to provide encouragement for strong lay leadership, diversifying clergy and impactful involvement in community outreach.

• Rev. Kristin White was welcomed as our first female rector in 2012 and served for six years. During her tenure she championed embracing diversity and inclusion with a unifying message of Everybody, Everybody, Everybody.  She strengthened the church’s role in the community and highlighted the message of acceptance. In September 2023, she was elected to be the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio.

• Rev. Nadia Stefko, called in 2020, leads us today with a commitment to engaged discipleship offering care, connection and transformation to all. Her guidance, including the creative use of technology, kept us connected through the pandemic and safely brought our parish back to in-person worship. Her encouragement of our Outreach Ministries continues a long tradition at St. A’s to connect those in need with programs that provide a future with hope for so many within our community and beyond.  

About Our Patron Saint

In the sermon for the feast of St. Augustine in August 2021, The Rev. Frank Senn reflects on what it means for us to be a congregation bearing the name of this great church father. You can read the sermon here.