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Happening ... in the Local Church
 Stained-glass
window from Church of the Resurrection, circa 1920 (Photos courtesy
Chicago History Museum) |
 A
young nun professes her vows, circa 1950, in this photo by Stephen
Deutch |
 A
classroom at St. Michael School, South Shore, 1988 |
By Kevin Cullen
The Catholic
Moment
The Chicago skyline is defined by world-famous skyscrapers, including Sears Tower, the John Hancock Center and Tribune Tower.
Chicago neighborhoods are known for their vibrancy, ethnic diversity and Catholicity. There, you’ll find the spires of hundreds of Catholic churches and more than 2 million Catholics. Catholicism is the largest religious faith in the city; nearly 40 percent of the population of Cook and Lake counties is Catholic.
A new exhibition, “Catholic Chicago,” opens March 8 at the Chicago History Museum. Using art, photos, religious artifacts and oral histories, it will explore how Chicago Catholics formed their own little communities and, together, shaped one of America’s greatest cities.
“Chicago is known as the ‘City of Neighborhoods,’” says Father Jeff Kirch, CPPS, a faculty member at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer who is studying at Loyola University, Chicago. “Traditionally those neighborhoods were populated by people from the same ethnic groups. There are German neighborhoods, Polish neighborhoods, Lithuanian neighborhoods, and now Hispanic neighborhoods. Each of these ethnic groups has its own local customs and traditions. They really show the diversity of the Catholic Church, yet at the heart of each of these ethnic groups you can find a deep sense of spirituality and reverence for the faith.”
“The Catholic presence is felt in all aspects of life in Chicago,” Father Kirch said. “The Archdiocese of Chicago plays a major role in civic affairs and regularly takes positions on important social issues such as fair housing, poverty and immigration.
“In addition to that, over 90,000 children are being educated in the Chicago Catholic schools. Simply having that many young people educated in Catholic schools has a ripple effect throughout the life of the city.”
The Chicago History Museum has preserved and interpreted the city’s history since 1856. “Catholic Chicago” will be the first in a series of exhibitions devoted to religious communities that have lent themselves to the city’s traditions and development.
“‘Catholic Chicago’ is the logical place for our series to begin, since the Catholic community has had an ongoing presence in Chicago since the 17th century,” museum president Gary Johnson said in a statement. “The biggest challenge is how to do justice to this expansive subject in just one exhibition.”
It is divided into six themes. “Laying Foundations,” for example, provides a look at influential Catholics, including Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, George Cardinal Mundelein, Father Jacques Marquette and Mother Cabrini.
“School Days” uses artifacts and audiovisual materials to tell the story of Chicago’s Catholic schools. It includes information on the ghastly 1958 fire at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic School, in which 92 children and three nuns died.
“Worship in the City” explores Catholic art in many forms, including music, architecture, stained glass … even a 4-foot crucifix by Meltem Aktas, who works in the medieval style.
Complementary programs will include film documentaries, a performance of the comedy “Late Nite Catechism,” programs focusing on controversial issues surrounding the Church, a church tour … even a “pub crawl” to bars that are considered “part” of certain parishes or neighborhoods.
Lead curator Jill Thomas Grannan discussed “Catholic Chicago” in a phone interview with The Catholic Moment. She holds a master’s degree in the history of art and architecture from the University of Pittsburgh.
The Archdiocese of Chicago, with 2.3 million Catholics, is one of the most populous in the United States. It has 364 parishes, more than 250 Catholic schools, five Catholic colleges and universities, three Catholic seminaries and 21 Catholic hospitals.
Although Church liturgies are universal, Catholicism in Chicago always has had a special flavor, Grannan said. During the massive immigration waves of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Chicago was more welcoming than many Eastern cities, with less anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant sentiment. Newcomers quickly found work, settled in, supported churches and helped build the city. More than 140 new parishes were established in the Chicago archdiocese between 1880 and 1914.
Even today, Chicagoans often identify themselves by their old neighborhoods, parishes and Catholic schools, Grannan said.
Education is a key component of Catholic Chicago; the parish school often was built before the church was erected, she said
Catholics always have been active in Chicago politics. One Catholic high school produced five Chicago mayors, including the legendary Richard Daley, father of the present mayor.
Catholic churches include some of Chicago’s greatest art treasures.
“I’m very interested in the power of the imagery, the craftsmanship found in different forms of works of art,” Grannan said. “Everywhere you look in a Catholic church, there are stories to tell, lessons to be learned, and places to pray. It’s an incredible legacy.”
The exhibition’s showpieces include a reproduction of a 1920 stained-glass window, made in Chicago, that depicts a priest celebrating Mass. There’s also a photomural of the inside of the breathtaking dome of St. Clement’s Church.
Artifacts on display include the first baptismal registry of St. Mary Church, which begins in 1833; the gilded monstrance carried by Cardinal Mundelein during a Mass celebrated at Soldier Field during the 1926 International Eucharistic Congress; historic vestments and documents, and a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“Catholicism has so impacted the city of Chicago,” Grannan said. “The appeal (of the exhibition), I think, will be very widespread. This is such a Catholic city.”
If you go
“Catholic Chicago” will run from March 8 through Jan. 4, 2009, at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago. Admission to the museum is $14 for adults with audio tour; $12 for seniors and students with audio tour, and free for children 12 years and younger. General admission is free on Mondays. For more information, call 312-642-4600 or visit www.chicagohistory.org.