Give

Hyde Park

Where Everyone Comes to Study Religion

Nestled between 49th and 61st streets, bracketed by Lake Michigan to the East and Washington Park to the West, Hyde Park is a neighborhood unlike any other in the city. Trees and shrubs line every street. There’s easy access to three of the best beaches in town, and even easier access to downtown via train or bus. With a historic public library, award-winning Museum of Science and Industry, and the first cooperatively owned not-for-profit bookstore, Hyde Park is one-of-a-kind.

But what makes ittruly unique?

The study of religion

Hyde Park is a hub of ministry and theology for not just Catholics or Christians, but for all kinds of faith communities. Muslims, Jews, Friends, Buddhists, Atheists, and Christians of all denominations have come to Hyde Park for decades to learn about faith.

CTU is surrounded by its neighboring Association for Chicago Theological School (ACTS) peer institutions: Theological Seminary, University of Chicago Divinity School, McCormick Theological Seminary, Bexley-Seabury Seminary, and the Lutheran School of Theology. And you won’t just sit beside their students at Harper Theater or dine with them at Hyde Park’s namesake restaurants like Valois: CTU students are eligible to take courses at any ACTS school, and vice versa. Get ready to learn about and alongside all sorts of people, simply by being here.

As a school cooperatively owned by two dozen men’s religious orders, CTU is situated in Hyde Park, a destination for world religions, and a hub of Catholic religious men and women. CTU’s campus is in walking distance to numerous community houses owned by our member orders and other religious congregational partners. Hyde Park is where novitiate happens for countless priests, brothers, and sisters from all around the world.

Chicago

“The Windy City.” A hard-working city. The Second City. “A City of Neighborhoods”

Chicago has everything one could want in a home and learning environment: A bustling downtown with a beautiful skyline. Lakefront beaches and lush green public spaces. World-renowned entertainment and excellent cuisine. Inspiring architecture. Community activism and diverse neighborhoods.

The History

Settled first by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable on the still-unceded land of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa peoples, Chicago made a name for itself as a transportation hub connecting the eastern and western United States. After the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, Chicago rebuilt itself and was put on the map by the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, which took place in CTU’s backyard!

To this day, Chicago continues to be a home to countless religious communities, industries, and ethnic groups. The winters are cold, but the people are warm. And you won’t find that in many other big cities!