St. Edmund's Church

We believe the altar is not a "St. Edmund's" table, nor an "Episcopal" table, but rather Christ's table. All baptized Christians are welcome to participate in the Eucharist.

The Lay Eucharistic Ministers assist the clergy in serving Holy Communion, reading lessons from the Bible and offering Prayers of the People. They are also commissioned by the church to administer Holy Communion to the sick and shut-in.

St. Edmund's Church Sunday School spiritually invigorates young people, from pre-school level through High School. A fully staffed nursery is open on Sundays for our youngest members.

The Church of St. Edmund, King & Martyr (St. Edmund’s) dates back to 1905 when its first services were held in a basement room at 55th Street and Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. It was known as the “Washington Park Mission”. In 1906, the name was changed to “St. Edmund’s Mission.” With changing demographics in the community, St. Edmund's became a Black congregation in 1928 under the leadership of the Rev. Samuel Martin, a newly ordained transitional deacon. He would lead the congregation for 40 years, becoming its first rector in 1940 when they were granted parish status.

By 1948, the necessary funds had been raised and with a grant from the Diocese of Chicago the former Greek Orthodox Church of St. Constantine located at 6105 South Michigan Avenue was acquired. The church has continued to evolve over the years with new members and new ideas as to how to better fulfill our mission. 

Over the years, St. Edmund's has started and operated a parochial school, credit union, and created a fully independent non-profit organization (St. Edmund's Redevelopment Corporation) that has built/managed over 700 units of affordable housing.