Interview with Panos Fiorentinos

Here is a pleasant interview with our great friend Panos Fiorentinos that aired on WBEZ's program 8:48.

Panos is the author, photographer, and producer of the the Greek Church Book, Ecclesia, which is the #1 gift given by the Society of St. Barbara. Icons! Colors! Urban Churches! The Chicago Metropolitan has a testament to the Liturgy in Color in Ecclesia.

Chicago Churches Tour

The lovely city of Chicago wll again host the Great Chicago Places and Spaces tour this year May 19-21. Our friend Suzanne Morgan wil lead

"Icons & Crosses: The Christian Orthodox Church (trolley, 32) Suzanne Morgan, Chicago Center for Religious Architecture Rich in symbols and ritual, candles and icons, this tour will emphasize the unique features of architecture and worship. This tour will feature Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Christ the Savior Orthodox Church and Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral"

Yes, that is Louis Sullivan's Cathedral, and yes it is still standing while Pilgrim Baptist tragically burned down.

Then why not try

"Three Sacred Spaces (bus, 52) Ward Miller, Project Architect and Richard Seidel, Historiographer, Diocese Chicago Experience Louis Sullivan's Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, St. James Cathedral, The Cathedral of the Prairie and Holy Family Church. Bring your own lunch and comfortable shoes!"

The doors will be open. Please donate generously to the Church of your choice while you visit, and enjoy a Sacred Chicago.

Czech and Slovak Chicago

After attending lunch presentation by Secretary of State Rice today, my mind drifted to the fine ventilation system, hidden in the plasterwork at the Conrad Hilton Grand Ballroom on South Michigan Avenue. Very well done, contemperary and integrated into the beauty of this great room.

Which reminded me, John Mallin painted some fantastic murals in Chicago Churches, but also could make a mean medallian. On invitation from the Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery, I stopped at a hidden gem on Pulaski and Foster in a broad Cemetery. The Crematorium interior is a must to behold. Here are the medallians. Click on each for more detail.

Visitation: An OPEN Church on Holy Thursday

Tomorrow is Holy Thursday. The Churches represented on the accompanying Google Map are welcoming visitors, prayers, and pilgrims. Click on the Title to drill down (get more detail) on the Map. This Map is not quite ready for publication, but it is fairly accurate. Please check below for specifics, and drop something in the collection box.

St. Mary of the Angels-open all day Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:15 p.m. Visitation and Adoration of the Holy EucharistUntil 12:00 midnight

St. John Cantius-open all day. 8AM Office of Tenebrae 7PM Misas Brevis. Confession till 9pm. Visitation and Adoration till Midnight.

Holy Trinity Open 10AM-Noon for confession and Adoration. 7:30pm Mass. Visitation Adoration until 10PM

St. Stanislaus Kostka Church open 6pm. Rosary at Church 6:30PM 7PM Mass. Visitation and Adoration till 11pm

St. Hedwig-open from 7pm (Mass) to 10:30pm for Visitation and Adoration.

St. Josaphat Morning prayer 9am Mass 7:30PM Adoration until 12Midnight.

Holy Week in Chicago

The Institute of Christ the King has announced Holy Week Services in Chicago for the first time at St. Gelasius. St. Gelasius, the first project of the Bricks and Mortar Foundation, has been a great success story, with Msgr Michael Schmitz developing a strong Mission on the South Side of Chicago, near the University of Chicago. Please join the Institute for Holy Week.


Palm Sunday 9:30 am
Holy Thursday 6:30 pm
Good Friday 3:00 pm
Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil 9:00 pm
Easter Sunday 9:30 am



Contact the Institute of Christ of King:
The address is as follows: 6415 South Woodlawn Avenue Chicago, IL 60637
phone: 773 363 7409 fax: 773 363 7824

In Chicago style, vote early and often

"Heavenly City", Denis McNamara and James Morris architectural history of the Archdiocese of Chicago published by Liturgy Training Press, has been nominated for a Benjamin Franklin Award. This prestigious award is presented by the Independent Book Publishers Organization is a great honor, and the entire crew behind Heavenly City is grateful to be considered for such a fine deal.

Two cheers for Denis and James. The third one comes if they actually win.

Trackback to Lick Observatory and more Quiz

Thanks to Marcus Scotus, we now have two observatories profiled. Yerkes in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and Lick Observatory in California. Though history has not been kind to him, Mr. Yerkes developed the Chicago El and the London Underground Railroads.

Quiz two,

Identify the above Chicago Classical Structure. This is an interior shot in of the structure in Lincoln Park.