In October 1926, William Henry Cardinal O'Connell created the parish of St. Ignatius of Loyola, named after the founder of the Society of Jesus, to serve the Chestnut Hill area. Care of the parish was assigned to the priests of the Jesuit community of Boston College. In 1951, construction of the Gothic church of St. Ignatius of Loyola was completed on Commonwealth Avenue near Lake Street. The church provides an active center of parish life for residents of the Chestnut Hill area, as well as for Boston College students, who often attend the church not only for regular Masses but also for student retreats and sacred concerts.
