Eleven Churches Not to Miss When You Visit Chicago

Eleven Churches Not to Miss When You Visit Chicago | Jim Graves | Catholic World Report

In a city shaped by immigrant communities, beautiful historic churches reflect the faith and hard work of generations of Catholics.

Chicago is known for its many beautiful and historically significant buildings, not the least of which are its Catholic churches. In the city there are about 365 Catholic churches, which for nearly two centuries have invited the faithful to come and worship their Creator.

This summer, I took a tour of four of these churches in what were originally Polish neighborhoods with Nell Andrzejewski, director of Catholic Church Tours. She refers to Chicago as “Little Rome” because of its many churches built in the old European style. As various immigrant groups came to the United States, they moved into often modest neighborhoods and built grand churches, which would serve as a hub for their communities. And while the ethnicities of these communities would change over time, their houses of worship would endure.

Since Nell began her touring company two years ago, she said, “I’ve fallen in love with the beauty of the Church.”

Each building has something to teach us about the Faith, she continued, and she sees the structures as “poetry in concrete.”

Here are profiles of these four churches, followed by suggestions from Nell and CWR readers of others that are well worth a visit.

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