St. Michael's in Chicago
Encyclopedia
St. Michael - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
located at E. 83rd Street and S. South Shore Drive in Chicago
, Illinois
.
It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style
' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with Immaculate Conception
, it is one of the two monumental Polish
churches dominating over the South Chicago
neighborhood.
. Bishop
Paul Rhode, the first Polish auxiliary bishop in Chicago
, served as pastor from 1897 until he was named bishop of Green Bay
in 1915. The parish continued to serve Polish steel workers until the steel mills closed in the 1980s. Today the parish as well as the neighborhood are predominately Latino
.
Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki
served as a priest at St. Michael's and then served as associate pastor
from the time he was ordained
to the priesthood
by John Cardinal Cody on May 10, 1978, until 1983.
. The Neogothic edifice is one of only three Polish churches in the Archdiocese of Chicago built in this style. The Gothic Revival façade, the choice of brick as well as the uneven steeples are an architectural homage to the Marian Basilica in Cracow
. U.S. Steel
donated the steel for the structure since 90% of the parishioners worked at the mills. The main altar reredos is constructed of butternut
and bird's eye maple wood, as are the two side altars. The central statue of Michael the Archangel defeating Lucifer
, the two incensing angels and the statues on the side altars were sculpted and painted by hand. The beautiful and rare communion rail is carved in oak
with a white marble top. The interior of the church can seat approximately 2,000 people.
Interesting to music enthusiasts is the grand piano which belonged to famed composer, Ignace Jan Paderewski.
A shrine
to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa
, the National Patron of the people of Poland
, is located in the sanctuary and was constructed in Poland
in the early 1960s.
The magnificent stained glass
windows were made by F. X. Zettler of Munich
, Germany
. Of special note are the two transept
windows on the East and West sides of the church. They are the largest and according to some also the most beautiful stained glass
windows in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The eastern transept
window depicts the Pentecost
event, while the western transept
window depicts Saint Michael the Archangel at the last judgement.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
located at E. 83rd Street and S. South Shore Drive in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, 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 a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style
Polish Cathedral style
The Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...
' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception in Chicago
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, referred to in Polish as Kościół Niepokalanego Poczęcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in, Chicago, Illinois. It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in...
, it is one of the two monumental Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
churches dominating over the South Chicago
South Chicago, Chicago
South Chicago, formerly known as Ainsworth, is one of the 77 well-defined community areas of Chicago, Illinois.This chevron-shaped community is one of Chicago's 16 lakefront neighborhoods near the southern rim of Lake Michigan 10 miles south of downtown...
neighborhood.
History
Founded in 1892 as a Polish parish in Chicago to relieve overcrowding at Immaculate ConceptionImmaculate Conception in Chicago
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, referred to in Polish as Kościół Niepokalanego Poczęcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in, Chicago, Illinois. It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in...
. Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Paul Rhode, the first Polish auxiliary bishop in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, served as pastor from 1897 until he was named bishop of Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
in 1915. The parish continued to serve Polish steel workers until the steel mills closed in the 1980s. Today the parish as well as the neighborhood are predominately Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
.
Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki
Thomas J. Paprocki
Thomas John Paprocki is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 20 April 2010. From 2003 until his appointment he served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago...
served as a priest at St. Michael's and then served as associate pastor
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
from the time he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by John Cardinal Cody on May 10, 1978, until 1983.
Architecture
The church was built between 1907 through 1909 designed by William J. BrinkmannWilliam J. Brinkmann
William J. Brinkman was an architect most well known for his work designing Chicago area churches. A son of German immigrants, he received his architectural training at the firm of Burnham and Root., where he eventually supervised the construction of Chicago's Masonic Temple, a skyscraper that...
. The Neogothic edifice is one of only three Polish churches in the Archdiocese of Chicago built in this style. The Gothic Revival façade, the choice of brick as well as the uneven steeples are an architectural homage to the Marian Basilica in Cracow
St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków
St. Mary's Basilica , is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century , adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland...
. U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
donated the steel for the structure since 90% of the parishioners worked at the mills. The main altar reredos is constructed of butternut
Butternut
Butternut may refer to:*Butternut tree, Juglans cinerea, or its fruit*Butternut squash, an edible winter squash.*Butternut, a shade of yellow similar to khaki and the color of the butternut squash...
and bird's eye maple wood, as are the two side altars. The central statue of Michael the Archangel defeating Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
, the two incensing angels and the statues on the side altars were sculpted and painted by hand. The beautiful and rare communion rail is carved in oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
with a white marble top. The interior of the church can seat approximately 2,000 people.
Interesting to music enthusiasts is the grand piano which belonged to famed composer, Ignace Jan Paderewski.
A shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa
Black Madonna of Czestochowa
The Black Madonna of Częstochowa is a revered icon of the Virgin Mary housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland.-The icon:The origins of the icon and the date of its composition are still hotly contested among scholars...
, the National Patron of the people of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, is located in the sanctuary and was constructed in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in the early 1960s.
The magnificent stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were made by F. X. Zettler of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Of special note are the two transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
windows on the East and West sides of the church. They are the largest and according to some also the most beautiful stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The eastern transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
window depicts the Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
event, while the western transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
window depicts Saint Michael the Archangel at the last judgement.
External links
See also
- Tadeusz ŻukotyńskiTadeusz ZukotynskiPolish count, professor, and painter Tadeusz Żukotyński was born in what is today the region of Podolia in Ukraine. One of Europe's foremost painters in religious subjects...
, Catholic fine art painter and mural artist - Sr. Maria Stanisia, Polish-American fine art painter and restoration artist
- Jozef MazurJozef MazurJozef C. Mazur was an Polish-American stained glass artist, painter and sculptor. His works can be found signed as Josef Mazur, Joseph Mazur, Joe Mazur, J. C. Mazur as well as a few others.-Life:...
, Polish-American painter and stained glass artist - Polish Cathedral stylePolish Cathedral styleThe Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...
churches of Chicago - Polish Americans
- Poles in ChicagoPoles in ChicagoChicago Polonia, refers to both immigrant Poles and Americans of Polish heritage living in Chicago, Illinois. They are a part of worldwide Polonia, the proper term for the Polish Diaspora outside of Poland. Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Chicago...
- Polish Roman Catholic Union of AmericaPolish Roman Catholic Union of AmericaThe Polish Roman Catholic Union of America is the oldest Polish American organization in the United States. Its history spans notable periods in the development of the Polish American ethnic group, from the time of early settlement by immigrants from Poland through their development of ethnic...
- Roman Catholicism in PolandRoman Catholicism in PolandEver since Poland officially adopted Latin Christianity in 966, the Catholic Church has played an important religious, cultural and political role in the country....
- Saint Michael: Roman Catholic traditions and views