About St. James

Through the shared ministry of Father Vic Esclamado (who later became bishop of the Diocese of USA and Canada and then at present serving as the diocesan bishop of Biliran, Leyte, and Samar in the Philippines) and the late Father Ricardo Baykin, St. James’ Church started serving the Filipino community in Chicago since the 1980s. In 2006, with the Rt. Rev. Val Lorejo as rector and with Father Julian Gunday assisting him, St. James’ started conducting their Sunday Eucharist service at St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in the north side of Chicago. After the closure of St. Richard's, St. James' moved to  Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Skokie on February 14, 2010. With the warm-hearted hospitality of the Episcopal congregation and mutual recognition of the concordat relationship between the Philippine Independent Church and the Episcopal Church, St. James’ has been able to use their place for worship and fellowship every Sunday.

United in Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit, clergy and lay leaders render faithfully the pastoral and ministerial needs of the congregation. St. James’ members are comprised primarily of first and second generations of Filipino families. Members support one another like a family.