65 E. Huron
January 23, 2026
Dear People of God in the Diocese of Chicago,
Earlier this week, the Bishop & Trustees (B&T) of the diocese voted in support of a new financing proposal and timeline from St. James Cathedral that would allow for its purchase of the building at 65 E. Huron. This is an exciting step toward our hoped-for outcome of a building sale, and we’re thrilled to be able to share some of this progress with you at last, as much of the early work necessarily took place under a non-disclosure agreement.
The current proposal represents a critical step in moving towards a final agreement. We know how important this moment is for the diocese as a whole, as we continue to pursue the Strategic Plan and set longer-term goals for mission and ministry.
During our meeting, members of Bishop & Trustees expressed optimism that, should the terms of this proposal be developed into a definitive agreement, and should the sale occur, the resulting infusion of resources will allow B&T to create an endowment-like fund in support of diocesan ministry. They also have long-appreciated that this transfer of ownership to St. James Cathedral would save us from disrupting the work of the cathedral, the bishop’s staff, Episcopal Charities, Bexley-Seabury Seminary, and the other groups who rely on this building as a place of welcome and ministry.
St. James Cathedral leadership has also expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of further activating the building as a center for mission, community engagement, and diocesan hospitality. Their vision includes expanding the cathedral’s capacity for outreach, increasing flexibility for programmatic space, and strengthening its role as a spiritual and civic presence in the heart of the city.
Members of B&T who serve on the building sale committee will continue to conduct their due diligence on the proposal, with the goal of finalizing terms for a purchase-sale agreement and project financing this spring. We ask for your prayers and support as we enter this next stage of negotiations.
This proposal is the result of many months of prayerful work and collaboration, and we want to recognize with gratitude all who have contributed—the Cathedral staff, the bishop’s staff, members of Bishop & Trustees, the Cathedral Chapter’s property subcommittee, and many expert consultants in the areas of commercial real estate sales and finance, and faith-based fundraising, whose dedication and expertise have brought us to this point.
Having reached this stage in the process, we look forward to greater transparency and providing regular updates on the process going forward.
Faithfully,
Bishop Paula Clark Dean Lisa Hackney-James
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May 23, 2024 Dear Friends in Christ, It is my privilege and my joy to announce, on behalf of the Cathedral Chapter and leadership of St. James, that we have taken an important and exciting step on the path to securing our historic Cathedral, its vital ministries, and the integrity of the physical campus that has served for more than 175 years as the sacred space from which this historic congregation has lived out God's mission in the world. This week, the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago accepted our Letter of Intent (LOI) to purchase 65 E. Huron, the modern building that adjoins St. James Cathedral, and in which our administrative offices and parish gathering spaces currently sit. Our preliminary agreement to purchase the building marks an important commitment to our parishioners, neighbors, and the wider diocesan community—affirming our physical presence in the heart of Chicago to minister to all who are need of the hope and support our faith calls us to provide. We now enter a period of further negotiation with the hope and expectation that the transaction will reach its final form in the coming months. This agreement is also a tribute to a renewed spirit of cohesion and fellowship with Bishop Clark and other diocesan leaders with whom we have worked closely for the past two years in a commitment to mutual accommodation and stewardship of generational resources. The proceeds we raise will provide much needed support for the good work of the entire diocese. Buoyed by this development, our capital campaign will now move into a new chapter of focused planning and expanded outreach that will support the purchase of the modern building, as well as fund the separate structural and functional restoration previously envisioned for the historic Cathedral building. You have often heard me tell the story of St James’ founding families who stood in the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 looking on the hollow shell of the majestic church they had just weeks earlier completed and dedicated, brought to ground except for the bell tower which remained. Many of them, their homes also wiped out in the catastrophe, vowed to rebuild their church - and they did. In four short years they rebuilt what had previously taken them 20. In October 1875, the people of St. James reconsecrated the structure in which we are blessed to worship to this day. Our buildings are their legacy, and now our founders' resolve has been reborn in all of us, with an LOI that represents a new landmark in our history as we work to pass on to future generations the gift that we have received from generations past. Facing the uncertainty that the sale of 65 E. Huron cast upon the future of the Cathedral and its ministries, our congregation and its leaders met the moment again, marshaling the will, the vision, and the initiative to chart a way forward that allows for the mutual flourishing of both cathedral and diocesan community alike, and which continues to welcome both the faithful and the seeker through open doors. I look forward to sharing more about the path forward in the months ahead. I also ask you to join me in prayers of thanksgiving for this moment, and in ongoing prayers for our Cathedral’s faithful lay leaders, and the success of our efforts to bring our vision to life. |
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The Very Rev. Lisa Hackney-James, |