St. Agnes first opened its doors in 1904 as Blessed Agnes of Bohemia School. It started with one hundred students in two classrooms, and the first two teachers were Miss Svitak and Miss Churan. The School Sisters of St. Francis joined the school in 1907 to help teach the students and do other work around the Parish. As the population of the Parish increased, more room was needed in the school. As a result, the second floor was added to the original building in 1914. Initially, parts of the school were rented out to the local public schools. However, as the enrollment of the school continued to increase, the school took over that space and eventually had to build the new addition with the gym in 1953.
Blessed Agnes officially became St. Agnes of Bohemia in 1989. Today, St. Agnes is the largest Hispanic Parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Although the school structure has undergone many changes, the wonderful students and dedication of the teachers and staff have prevailed since the beginning. After graduation, the students go on to some of the top high schools and universities including St. Ignatius, Whitney Young College Prep and Harvard University.
- Adapted from "History of Blessed Agnes Parish"