Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church (Norwegian

Norwegian language

Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...

: Den Norske Lutherske Minnekirke), also known as Minnekirken, is a Lutheran church in Chicago, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It is one of two American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 churches still using Norwegian as a primary liturgical

Liturgy

Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...

 language, the other being Mindekirken in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

.

Background

Memorial Church or Minnekirken in Norwegian, is located at 2614 N. Kedzie Boulevard in an area known as Logan Square

Logan Square, Chicago

Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...

. At one time, Logan Square boasted a large Norwegian-American population. With relatively inexpensive housing and rent available, this neighborhood was a favorite for immigrants and working-class citizens. Minnekirken serves as a reminder of a neighborhood heritage long past in which Scandinavians

Scandinavians

Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...

played a significant part. During the first half of the 20th century there were several Norwegian language churches in the Logan Square area and over 20 Norwegian language churches in the metropolitan area. Today, Minnekirken is the last remaining Norwegian language church in the city. Besides church services, the church continues to host activities, including Norwegian cooking classes, musical concerts and the annual Julejentene Christmas Bazaar.

History

Minnekirken was first built by Norwegian immigrants as Christ Church in 1912. In 1934, the name was changed to its present name, in part because of the war memorial which was dedicated that year in the center of the circular thoroughfare located across from the church.

Neighborhood

The neighborhood surrounding the church is typical of Chicago's North Side neighborhoods and reflective of a diversity of languages and cultures. In the neighborhood these days, one predominantly hears Spanish spoken in several dialects representing different Hispanic cultures.

External links

• Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church
• Sjømannskirken Website of The Norwegian Church Abroad, which operates churches in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, New Orleans, Miami and New York