Baron Haussmann's Avenue de la Grande Armée?

The Bourgeoisification of Paris culminated in Baron Haussmann's renovation of the city, building a signature three story, such as the one shown here.

Except the one shown here is at the convent at Our Lady of Peace, on Chicago's South Shore, which is much more beautiful than Paris, because of the unobstructed views of Lake Michigan (ignoring the bus stop in front of Our Lady, please)

Joseph McCarthy's Our Lady of Peace, "The Blue Church", championed by none other than Loyola University's renowned Professor Frank Covey Jr., is a sublime testimonial to the quest for Peace following WWI.

St. Rocco di Simbario

The Feast of St. Rocco each year on the second Sunday of August at the former Santa Maria Incoronata, now St. Therese Chinese Catholic Mission in Chinatown. The Suntimes had some good pictures today from the Church. (Ignore the unflattering story please)

Pop a Cork! Depression is over. Big win for the Home Team.

Heavenly City has won the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award given by the Independent Book Publishers Association. Congrats Denis and James, and also to our publisher LTP and the Archdiocese of Chicago.


To celebrate, I publish one of the unprinted proofs that we used to frame up the project. Makes you glad Jame Morris did the final photography, eh?

Depression hits Wilmette

To add company to Denis Mc's misery in Steubenville, while walking around central Wilmette this afternoon, I decided to call on every church I walked by, and take some interior photographs. There are some Prairie Beauties, The Community Church of Wilmette and First Congregational; a Gothic Masterpiece (most likely Joseph McCarthy's) High Anglican Styled, Trinity United Methodist (pictured above right), and the English Country Episcopalian St. Augustine's (pictured above left).

None of these are open.

None of them answered the door when I rang.

This is perhaps the least likely village in America for a homeless person to wander around, and the doors are locked tight.

The community is loaded with loot, the churches are masterpieces, and they are absolutely NOT open to the public. So much for the redeeming nature of a church.

I am contemplating a call to (the very Anglican) Andrew Lloyd Weber to ask the Open Churches Trust to prod the Protestants in Wilmette to get their church doors open. I predict an answer along the lines of "tell those heretics to open up and accept Christ". Will keep you informed.

To add to the universally depressing nature of my post, the Wilmette Catholics are also flunking at ministering to the public; I just picked today to visit our brother churches. Here is one currently very sad Wilmette convent, in its Glory Days. Perhaps Lord Lloyd Weber can give the Jesuits a rap on the knuckles while he is at it.

New Cathedral for Steubenville

The Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio has announced the selection of architects for its new cathedral which will be formed out of five closing parishes. After interviewing several firms including Franck, Lohsen, McCrery of Washington, DC, the diocese chose the local firm of Meacham and Apel. The firm has done a good amount of work in the area, particularly in retail and industrial design as well as several churches. A detail of one of their Episcopal churches is shown here. Though plans of the proposed catehdral have not yet been released, the programmatic requirements have been released.

It is sad to see that another major cathedral commission is going to turn out to be a mediocre project. From what I am told, the architects have a good track record and are known for being very professional. It is evident, though, from the work on their web site, that they don't really understand traditional architecture very well, though their buildings do give a suggestion of the tradition at a quick glance. Their architecture is quite deficient in terms of real traditional work, being a skin-deep pastiche of pasted on moldings which lack traditional structural logic and proper knowledge of profiles. It is difficult to imagine that they will suddenly develop some more design skill before they release the cathedral designs. With so many really talented traditional architects out there, it is a shame to see that the building commission settled for less than they should have.

Another mediocre design firm, another lost opportunity.

Holy Trinity Frescoes

Holy Trinity has restored the magnificent fresco behind the altar. The previous eggyolk is nowehre to be seen, instead a quite wonderful lirtugical scene. Holy Trinity has also added beautiful brass domes to its stunning towers.

Next time you are driving down the I90-94, bless yourself with a visit to this Polish Beauty.

The Churches and Chapels of Kenosha

In an occassional series, coinciding with the summer season in (the home of Orson Welles) Kenosha, Wisconsin, I will post a pictoral description of different churches in the "Peoria of Lake Michigan", Kenosha. Er, is that a compliment? Well, yes, from an Architectural and Cultural sense, Kenosha is very beautiful (so is Peoria). While the mainstream press is still pounding away at the rust belt with 30 year old information, Kenosha has virtually no unemployement, a beautiful lakefront development, good schools, and a growing population.

Yesterday, I went to mass at St. James the Apostle, founded in 1882. Wonderful marketing here,
"If you are searching for a modern liberal parish with dancers, clowns and balloons, look elsewhere"
"You are entering the house of the Lord. Please no beach attire, flip flops, or bathing suits"

draws a full house on Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, by not bending to those demanding a light touch from the Church.

The Church interior reatains its communion rail, statuary, high altar, and many of its sermons from the days before Vatican II. The stained glass looks very much like a stylish Ralph Lauren display, with unique but traditional fonts and geometric representations. I noted the Christian Shamrock in many windows honoring Irish people and causes. The congregation tends to kneel and stand at different times, which the priest accomodates with true liberal Catholicism.

If you are anywhere in the Chicago area, this is worth the trip. Outside of the Latin Mass, this is one of the most traditional Churhes in the Midwest.

Anglican Use Conference, June 5-6, 2006

If anyone out there in the blogosphere will be in Scranton in early June, be sure to drop in on the second annual Anglican Use Conference being put on by the national Anglican Use Society and the local, St. Thomas More Society of St. Clare Parish, Scranton. And be sure to say hi to me, as I'll be there, too.

For those of you new to the blog, the Anglican Use Society promotes the Pastoral Provision, a papally-approved canonical process (John Paul tested, John Paul approved) by which former Episcopalian parishes can be brought over en masse to Rome while preserving the legitimate diversity of their liturgical traditions. For that matter, it also has the additional luster of being the only form of the Roman Rite currently in use which has a decent English translation.

I'm actually one of the speakers. I will be giving a presentation on my penultimate project as a Notre Dame architecture student, a hypothetical design for an Anglican Use city parish in Chicago, in a manner which squares with the conference's theme, "Conversion to Catholicism." I hope to discuss in particular the way the building symbolically points back to the Anglican Use's mingled Roman and English roots.

While I'm not listed yet on the schedule--there was a last-minute re-shuffle--you can have a gander at the rest of the the rest of the speakers at the Society's website. I'll be presenting the evening of Monday the 5th, 7 PM. The slot before Cardinal Dulles. I'm not boasting--it's just the way things worked out. It's a great honor--and a little daunting, too. I guess that makes me the warm-up act for the Cardinal. It's just a relief I'm not coming after him!

The ICRSP Strikes Again!

The supremely awesome (to use the canonical term) new bishop of Kansas City, Robert Finn, has recently re-opened Kansas City's shuttered oldest church as a special Latin Mass parish. With himself as pastor and none other than the priests of the Institute of Christ the King as the staff. As is their typical practice, the Institute's taking on a bit of a white elephant as the church needs a fair amount of renovation (I think the building's not open yet, and masses are being held at a neighboring parish), but knowing them, they'll pull it off. Info on mass times and donations can be found here.

Beauty Returns in New Catholic Church

A new church is in the planning stages in Leawood, Kansas which embraces the best of the Catholic tradition and yet is very much a church of today. St. Michael the Archangel Church is being designed by David Meleca of Meleca Architects of Columbus, Ohio in association with liturgical and theological consultant Denis McNamara of the Liturgical Institute at Mundelein Seminary. The new church will seat about 1400 people at maximum occupancy and will provide small chapels for private prayer, a choir loft, a large narthex and an octagonal baptistery. The design is in its final stages of development and groundbreaking is expected in the spring of 2007.

It may sound like a Restaurant

But, it keeps getting nominated for Book Awards. "Heavenly City" has been nominated for a Midwest Book Award. I am completely biassed in its favor, but for an independent publisher, such as LTP, this is one slick book. It does not look like a brochure you find at a tourist site, rather a grand celebration of artistic and architectural tradition.

Richard John Neuhaus likes it too.

Quiz in the Loop

Here is a shot I took a few weeks back. It is within a public venue in the Loop. The room is a Prairie Gem, though with an Italian Fresco painted on the barrel vaulting.

It is strangely out of place in its setting. The setting has no shortage of great Chicago interiors. Now, if the place was dry inside, they might be around for another 100 years, but this place has buckets on the floor.

For a Hi-Res photo of a Great Chicago Church, identify this venue!

Nearly a fine photograph

Back to Bohemia, was cleaning my camera and came upon this shot. This is the crematorium at the Bohemian National Cemetery on a fine spring day.

Before you start thinking that John Powers is a good photographer, take note of Bob the caretaker leaning over in the background.

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.