News
Cemetery to be demolished for O’Hare expansion
By Veronica FloresBensenville Staff Writer
St. Johannes church and religious cemetary to be demolished for expansion of O’Hare Airport.
Photographed by: the Eagle
Imagine having a beloved
church and its cemetery
destroyed, not just any cemetery,
but a cemetery where
loved family members are
buried. This has become a
reality for hundreds of families
in the Bensenville and Elk
Grove areas. St. Johannes
Religious Cemetery will be
demolished soon. The cemetery
has been consecrated by
St. John’s United Church of
Christ.
The United States
Supreme Court has granted
the City of Chicago the go
ahead with its plans to demolish
St. Johannes Religious
Cemetery in order to make
room for runways at O’Hare
Airport. Many people are
unhappy with this decision.
“We are of course disappointed
by today’s Supreme
Court decision... stripping of
religious protection from St.
Johannes violated the First
Amendment. Several other circuit
courts of appeal agreed
with our position and disagreed
with the Seventh Circuit’s position;
but the Supreme Court
decided not to resolve the dispute,”
said Bensenville Village
President John C. Geils.
Ever since it was built in
1849, St. John’s United Church
of Christ has been part of many
families, as well as part of St.
Johannes Religious Cemetery.
“Our thoughts and prayerS
go out to the church, its members
and especially to the hundreds
of families whose loved
ones are buried at St. Johannes.
This is a clear case of discrimination
and a denial of the
deeply religious beliefs of the
church and the affected families,”
said Geils.
The village has tried everything
in order to save the
church and the cemetery, but so
far it looks like the City of
Chicago will win.
If the cemetery is demolished,
about 1,300 buried people,
including Civil War veterans,
will have to be taken to
another cemetery.
“I share President Geils’
concern for the families of
those who are buried at St.
Johannes,” said Elk Grove
Village Mayor Craig Johnson.
“These projects will never
get built and it’s time for
Chicago to scale back this
project to one that is more
compatible with the needs of
the surrounding communities
and economic reality. With
fuel prices soaring, the airlines
are in deep financial problems
and they are in no position to
take on the massive amounts of
debt Chicago has asked [them]
to finance in order to make this
project go,” said Johnson.
On the other hand, the
O’Hare Modernization
Program is pleased with the
Supreme Court’s decision.
“We are extremely pleased
with today’s Supreme Court
order. With the Court of
Appeals’ ruling final, we will
continue to move forward with
acquisition of the cemetery
and will be contacting next of
kin in order to begin the relocation
process,” said
Rosemarie S. Andolino, the
O’Hare Modernization
Program Executive Director.
“We are well aware that
this is an extremely sensitive
matter. The OMP Cemetery
Relocation Team is committed
to treating the next of kin and
church officials with the
utmost care and compassion
every step of the way during
this process,” said Andolino.
Anyone with questions or
concerns about the relocation
process at St. Johannes
Religious Cemetery can call
the O’Hare Modernization
Program at (773) 462-8441.