St. Mary’s Home, located at 2325 N. Lakewood Avenue, is in the heart of the vibrant Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and stands on the property of the former Alexian Brothers Hospital.

St. Mary’s Home is one of two Homes the Little Sisters of the Poor currently operate in the greater Chicagoland area, along with St. Joseph’s Home in Palatine.

On July 15, 2024, the Little Sisters of the Poor celebrated 148 years of service to Chicago’s aged.

Abraham Lincoln is said to have invited the Little Sisters to the United States for fear that the Civil War would leave many elderly without family, and indeed, several homes were founded on the East Coast in the 1860s.

In 1872, Holy Name and six other Catholic churches were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire. Bishop Foley, the administrator of the Chicago diocese, dedicated himself to rebuilding these churches as well as the hospitals and orphanages that the fire had taken from the city.

In 1874, he sent a written invitation to the Mother General of the Little Sisters of the Poor in France. Following his outreach work, the first Little Sisters home was established in Chicago.

Two years later, six Little Sisters set up the Sacred Heart Home at 335 North Halsted Street. That Home moved to 1255 Harrison Street in 1880.

A second Home, St. Augustine, opened at 414 W. Chicago Avenue in 1882 and was moved to Sheffield and Fullerton Avenues in 1886.

In 1891, the St. Joseph’s Home at 5148 S. Prairie Avenue became the third Little Sisters home in Chicago.

By the 1960’s, reform of national health-care standards paved the way for these three homes to close and two new facilities to open. The original Sacred Heart Home was closed in 1959 and many of the Residents were moved to St. Augustine Home.

The original St. Joseph’s Home on Prairie Avenue closed in May of 1966 when the new Home in Palatine was completed.

St. Augustine Home at Sheffield and Fullerton remained a steadfast haven for the elderly poor for nearly 94 years.

In 1980, following an extensive fundraising campaign to build a new home, the Little Sisters and Residents moved down the street to St. Mary’s Home at 2325 N. Lakewood.

Whatever our address has been, the mission of the Little Sisters of the Poor remains the same. The Little Sisters provide a loving Home for the elderly poor of Chicago.

Bunmi Adekunle
Director of Nursing
On Staff: 16 years

How long have you worked at St. Mary’s Home?

I moved to Chicago in 2004 from Nigeria and have worked at St. Mary’s Home since. I worked as a CNA in St. John of God before getting my LPN in 2009 and then my RN in 2010.

What is your position?

I have been the Director of Nursing since 2016.

What does your day to day look like as the Director of Nursing?

As the Director of Nursing, my job is to help the sisters with direct caregiving and nursing care supervision.

What drew you to St. Mary’s Home?

When I came to the United States and began school to become a CNA, I participated at St. Mary’s Home in one of my clinical courses.

What do you love about your job?

It wasn’t until I began school to become a CNA that I became interested in caring for the elderly. I have found that it is what truly brings me joy. I love being a part of the Resident’s lives and getting to know each one of them personally.

What was your favorite home-cooked meal growing up?

Jollof rice! It is a well-known Nigerian dish made with a mixture of tomatoes and red peppers.

The Little Sisters of the Poor are an international congregation of Roman Catholic women religious founded in 1839 by Saint Jeanne Jugan. Together with a diverse network of collaborators, the Little Sisters serve the elderly poor in over 30 countries around the world.

Continuing the work of Saint Jeanne Jugan, our MISSION is to offer the neediest elderly of every race and religion a home where they will be welcomed as Christ, cared for as family and accompanied with dignity until God calls them to himself.

Our VISION is to contribute to the Culture of Life by nurturing communities where each person is valued, the solidarity of the human family and the wisdom of age are celebrated, and the compassionate love of Christ is shared with all.

Our VALUES

• REVERENCE for the sacredness of human life and for the uniqueness of each person, especially those who are poorest and/or weakest.

• FAMILY SPIRIT of joyful hospitality embracing all with open arms, hearts and minds; fostering participation in the life of the Home and rejecting all forms of discrimination.

• HUMBLE SERVICE to put the needs of the elderly before our own; an appreciation of simple, everyday tasks and experiences and humble means of accomplishing our work.

• COMPASSION for the weaknesses and sufferings of others; eagerness to relieve pain in all its forms and to make the elderly happy.

• STEWARDSHIP that recognizes that life and all other goods are gifts from God and should therefore be used responsibly for the good of all; trust in God’s Providence and the generosity of others to provide for our needs; just compensation for our collaborators; a spirit of gratitude and sharing.

The elderly are among our greatest treasures. Their lives have brought them a unique perspective in our human family.

• Through their accomplishments, they bring lessons in endurance and self-sacrifice.

• Through their life-long experiences, they bring lessons in what is important in life.

As Little Sisters of the Poor, we care for the elderly poor in the spirit of humble service we have received from our foundress, Saint Jeanne Jugan. We welcome the elderly as we would Jesus Christ himself and serve them with love and respect until God calls them home.

• We welcome the elderly who are at least 65 years of age regardless of faith, race or religion.

• We strive to provide the best level of medical care possible, while also ministering to our Residents emotionally and spiritually.

• We encourage an active lifestyle through meaningful activities, a lively pastoral program and opportunities for volunteering. Mass is celebrated daily in our chapel for those who choose to attend.

• We adhere to all the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, especially those concerning the sanctity of human life. We reject all forms of euthanasia and assisted suicide, and we protect our Residents from these practices, as well as from all forms of abuse and neglect.

• The compassionate care and accompaniment of the dying is the summit of our ministry. It is our goal that no one dies alone.

In the words of our foundress, Saint Jeanne Jugan, “Making the elderly happy, that is what counts!”

Begging for contributions has been a tradition since Saint Jeanne Jugan founded the Little Sisters of the Poor in 1839. Collecting continues to be at the heart of our mission today.

Begging Little Sisters reach out to kind generous people each day traveling the Chicagoland area asking for donations of money, food and supplies for our Residents.

Our food and supply costs for the Home are very low because of the outpouring of gifts the Little Sisters receive from business owners and hundreds of individuals who give to special collections at area parishes.

Like Saint Jeanne Jugan, the Little Sisters believe that if we are faithful to our mission of caring for the poor, God will provide. Our benefactors are the instruments through which this is possible and we remember them every day in our prayers.

We are always looking for more food and supplies for our Residents.

Please call (773) 935-9600 or email clchicago@littlesistersofthepoor.org if you can help.

Click here to view our Target Wish List