deaneries of the diocese of chicago

Deaneries are geographical regions of the diocese which serve to promote greater unity among resident clergy and congregations, supervise diocesan assigned programs, and choose representatives to Diocesan Council. Deaneries are led by a lay or ordained dean appointed by the bishop or Standing Committee, and by a chapter composed of all resident clergy and three lay delegates from each congregation. There are 10 deaneries of the diocese with an average of 12 congregations each.

DEANS COUNCIL

The Deans Council is composed of all deans of the ten deaneries. The Council serves as an advisory body to the Bishop of Chicago, meeting with the bishop each month to share information on the ministries of their deaneries and congregations and to discuss diocesan ministry, programs, and issues facing the church. Deans roster for 2010.

HISTORY

The use of deaneries in the Diocese of Chicago dates to the early 20th century. Over the decades the number and size of deaneries has changed with the growth of congregations in the neighboring suburbs of Chicago. In the 1950s there were seven deaneries:

Chicago North

Chicago South

Chicago West

Fox River Valley (Elgin)

LakeShore (Evanston)

Northern (Rockford)

Southern (Joliet and Kankakee)

By the 1980s the number of deaneries had grown to 11 with the addition of the Oak Park Deanery, and the division of three others (Fox River became the Aurora Deanery and Elgin Deanery; LakeShore became the Evanston Deanery and Waukegan Deanery; and the Southern became the Joliet Deanery and the Kankakee Deanery). As congregations closed or merged in the late 1990s, the number of deaneries was reduced to ten:

Aurora, Chicago North, Chicago South, Chicago West, Elgin, Evanston, Joliet, Oak Park, Rockford, and Waukegan.

RESOURCES                                                                                                                 

Deans Roster 2010

Deanery Boundaries

Deanery Confirmation Schedule 2010

Deanery Congregations 
Diocesan and Deaneries Map
Guidelines for Deanery Confirmations
Guidelines for Diocesan Confirmations