Arts and Crafts Perfection in Wilmette

I spotted this picture on a local news blog of a local architectural gem, described as

"Italian Renaissance Style, hip roof with dentils and ornamental frieze at overhangs, classical stone pilaster at entry, stone quoins at corner, columns and arched stone false loggia at east wing" all the things that make this type of construction so solidly American and beautifully placed in Wilmette, in one of the great neighborhoods for architecture in Cook County.

Be advised, however, if you were considering purchasing this beauty, the owner is indicted felon Tony Rezko. It should have been a red flag when an IIT grad lives in such a classically beautiful house, but that is for the courts to decide.

Our Folly of Bad Counsel

The Tribune tries hard not to criticize the conversion of Our Lady of Good Counsel into Condo's. Not me: This looks awful, and so does most every other church/condo conversion.

Violates my primary rule, Churches are Churches; Condo's are Condo's.

I have seen some in London that were reasonable done, but not many. As London's Open Churches Trust has described, the ones that make money look terrible, the ones that lose money look tolerable.

More from Christ the King

To repeat, the Christ the King Coronation on Saturday was awesome, in every sense of the word. Here are a couple of shots lifted from The Institute website.

Take a look at the full set, if you have a chance

St. Xavier's School 29th and Wabash

Here is St. Xavier Academy from 1872, a Gem on the near south side run by the Sisters of Mercy since 1846. This photo from 1946, probably a bit past the heyday for the school, which thrived in the early 1900's.

St. Xavier Academy became St. Xavier University on the Southwest Side. Hales Franciscan sits on the current campus (check that!), in a modern simple building.

Coronation! Statue of Christ the King Placed on South Side Altar

Institute of christ the king
Originally uploaded by jbpo

In one of the more sublime ceremonies I have ever attended, The Institute of Chirst the King grandly and beautifully celebrated the installation of The Infant Jesus of Prague in its high altar in the main chapel at The Institute of Christ the King. His Eminence, Cardinal Francis George presided at the installation.

Quoting Msgr Schmitz, "God's Providence" brought around 650 pilgrims to the South Side of Chicago on a blustery winter day to fill the main chapel (as well as the choir loft, aisles, entryway) . A High Mass with Chorale Music enlightened the Chapel with 90 minutes of most pleasant sound, and solemn grace.

As my 4 year old daughter asked when the gloriously robed priests, Monseignors, and Cardinal walked up the aisle, "Is this the part where the King comes in?" The simple answer is resounding: Yes.

Update: More photos and support opportunities here. This is a great place, please give generously.

Holy Family at 150

Both the Tribune and the SunTimes have surprisingly pleasant articles about Holy Family Church in today's papers. The O'Leary/Cow story is rehashed to please the tourists, but the point is still on the Church.

Great friend of the Society of St. Barbara, the incomparable Fr. George Lane is quoted at length on the parish history and the mission of the Jesuits in Chicago. That's Fr. Lane in the attic at Holy Family, identifying some glass donated by the Comiskey family.

There are more photos at the Tribune, they are very good.

"Cardinal Francis George will say mass in honor of Holy Family Catholic Church's 150th anniversary at 9:45 a.m. Sunday in the church, 1080 W. Roosevelt Rd.

An open house will follow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at which a restored historic processional banner dating to 1861 will be displayed, along with a collection of hand-carved gilded wooden angel statues dating to the 1870s and a collection of chalices, gold monstrances, candlesticks and church vestments brought from Paris in 1863."

The SunTimes article here

The Tribune Article here

The Coronation of Christ the King

A most beautiful invitation arrived with our Christmas Cards from the Institute of Christ the King at 6401 S. Woodlawn in Chicago. His Eminence, Cardinal Francis George will preside at the Solemn Coronoation of the Statue of Christ the King at the former St. Gelasius (and former St. Clara) Church in Chicago's Hyde Park/Woodlawn Neighborhood.

The Main Chapel at the Institute of Christ the King will be open for this historic ceremony, and mass will be celebrated in this Chapel for the first time in many years.

All are welcome at 1:30 PM this Saturday December 29, 2007.

The Diocese of Des Moines in Full Color

In the name of St. Nicholas, my very thoughtful in-laws bought me a pictorial history of the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa, one of my favorite trips this year (along with La Crosse Wisconsin, Dubuque Iowa and Davenport Iowa).

The Des Moines Diocese stretches from Central Iowa to Southwest Iowa. Some highlights

St. Joseph Earling, Iowa, High Gothic 1882 Church with 150ft Bell Tower. German-American Style at its best, generally in tact.

St. Joseph Winterset, Iowa (John Waynes hometown). Early (1911) Spanish/Mediterranean Arts and Crafts style exterior, unfortunately interior looks whitewashed.

St. Patrick's Irish Settlement Iowa, Literal Prairie Style from 1868. Site of John Paul II papal visit in 1979. Serenely simple design.

St. John's at Newman Hall Champaign

All websites should be this beautiful and detailed. The stained glass at St. John's Chapel at Newman Hall is profiled in detail on

St. John's Stained Glass


There is something powerful going on at Newman. Take a look around the website. Having survived the 1980's at Newman Hall with only a few scratches, I attest to highly spirited (in every sense of the word) experience living with 400 other wound-up Catholics under one roof.

CMR on No Wonder Liturgy is Often Ugly

No Wonder Liturgy is Often Ugly

Driehaus Has Done it Again

Richard Driehaus, The Patron of Traditional Architecture has made another superb prize award for the 2008 Driehaus Prize. This time Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, the husband-and-wife team who lead the Miami firm Duany Plater-Zyberk (DPZ), have been named the recipients of the sixth annual Richard H. Driehaus Prize for Classical Architecture. They will receive $200,000 and a model of the Choregic Monument of Lysikrates during ceremonies March 29 in Chicago.

Yes, you read that right, $200,000. Mr Driehaus has doubled the winnings from $100K to $200K. Mr. Driehaus, may your generousity be rewarded with a continuation of the Architectural Tradition of the Classics.

Three Cheers for DPZ and Richard Driehaus!

Also, Roger G. Kennedy, the National Park Service director under President Clinton for four years, will receive the $50,000 Henry Hope Reed Award.

Not shabby at all!

Is Helmut Jahn the Worst Major Architect Practicing Today?

I am excluding Frank Gehry, who is more of an unbearable artist, but for unbuildable, unworkable architecture, Helmut Jahn is the bottom of the charts. A trip to the Thompson Center recently clinched it for me. The miserable predicament of the people working there is complimented by the miserable architecture...massive unknowable spaces, strange angles insulting the eye, and a genuine inhumanity built to annoy visitors and workers alike.

I don't think it is any secret that Jahn's works are notoriously hard to build, with the purpose of the building disguised behind a unpleasant architectural facade. You might argue that the State of Illinois is an unpleasant architectural facade, so the Thompson center is perfectly unpleasant. On the other hand, couldn't we use a bit more pleasant State, rather than continuing with the prison motif in our downtown buildings?

Well, if you thought you had enough Jahn in Chicago (and who hasn't?) the newly rich Salvation Army announced an astounding $220 Million Community Center planned for the Pullman neighborhood, to be designed by none other than...Helmut Jahn. Read more about it here at the Chicago Daily Observer

The Salvation of Helmut Jahn


Any thoughts out there on stopping this massive waste of resources for heretofore decent organization? Can we keep Jahnism out of Ecclesiology?

Sacred Heart Re-Dedicates Chapel

The Society of the Sacred Heart, founded Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, has re-opened the Chapel at Sacred Heart School on Sheridan Road in Chicago.

The Tribune has a reasonable article here

The Sacred Heart Academy, founded in 1876 (on Dearborn) then moving at State and Chicago Avenue adjacent to Holy Name, also houses Hardy Prep, a boys school.

Congratulations to Sr. Maxwell on restoring the liturgical brilliance to the Sacred Heart Academy.

Small Altar Glory

This is a small glorious altar from the Sacristy in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. I was privileged to tour the Cathedral last week.

Mineral Springs Hotel Colfax Iowa

Catholic Mass at First Congregational Church Evanston

Tallmadge and Watson's First Congregational Church of Evanston was site of a beautiful performance of Franz Schubert's Mass in G, featuring a Chancel Choir, Soloists, and a String Quartet.

All around it was very well done, though I note that Tallmadge and Watson are not exactly the Prairie Style Architects they are made out to be, rather they are great American Arts and Crafts Architects in the manner of Daniel Burnham and Joe McCarthy.

Still trying to explain how a religion that denies it has a creed can so beautifully celebrate Schubert's "Credo in G", but I will leave that for another day.

Denis McNamara at Loyola University

Loyola University with Mundelein College, The Sullivan Center, and Madonna de La Strada is a great setting for Dr. Denis McNamara to speak about "Faithful Architecture: Catholic Thought, Catholic Buildings". The Chapel at Loyola University has enough mixed up architecture to both love and question parts of the building, yet admire the energy and imagination that went into making this modern marvel.

Come on over to the (Soviet Looking) Sullivan Center tonight at 7PM tonight to hear Denis illuminate the Built Liturgy via his enlightened lecture.

Here is a shot of the great Art-Deco Mundelein College next door to the Sullivan Center.

The Lions of Babylon

The Lions of Babylon
Originally uploaded by Imagem.Mundo

Michigan Avenue 4

Michigan Avenue 4
Originally uploaded by John MacGillivray

435 N Michigan Ave # 1200
Chicago, IL 60611

Joseph Molitor's Passionist Monsatery to Close

The Holy Cross Province of the Passionists, at 5700 N. Harlem Avenue in Chicago have put their Monastery up for sale. The Monastery, built in 1904, was designed by legendary Chicago Architect Joseph Molitor, who also made the gems SS Cyril and Methodius, and Holy Cross (a featured Church in "Heavenly City").

Here is a news article on the proposed sale

The Monastery resembles others from that time period, such as Barat College, and Loyola Mallinckrodt, however, the chapel was de-beautified in some post 1968 madness, weakening the historic significance of the structure.

I propose this: If it is sold and torn down, please let the Passionists (as opposed to the Nuns at Barat and Loyola Mallinckrodt) get paid for their property. If it can be preserved, how about using the Monastery as a public space?