St. Barbara's in Chicago ( pl, Kościół Świętej Barbary) - historic church of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in
Chicago,
Illinois, at 2859 South Throop St.
It is a prime example of the
Polish Cathedral style of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with
St. Mary of Perpetual Help
St. Mary of Perpetual Help ( pl, Kościół Matki Bożej Nieustającej Pomocy) - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
It is a prime example of the so-called Po ...
, it is one of two monumental
religious edifices that dominate the
Bridgeport neighborhood's skyline.
History
Founded in 1909 as a
Polish parish to relieve overcrowding at
St. Mary of Perpetual Help
St. Mary of Perpetual Help ( pl, Kościół Matki Bożej Nieustającej Pomocy) - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
It is a prime example of the so-called Po ...
. Reverend Anthony Nawrocki, brother of St. Mary's pastor Stanislaus Nawrocki was the first pastor, thus the founding of the parish was a family affair in both the literal and figurative sense. In 2016, rumors began circulating surrounding the impending "Renew My Church" program. Rumors became reality in 2019 when the Archdiocese decided to "merge" St. Barbara with St. Therese Chinese Catholic School. However, unlike other "merge" plans in Renew My Church, St. Therese assumed possession of St. Barbara's school campus, administration, and rectory quarters.
Architecture
The church was designed by the firm of
Worthmann and Steinbach who built many of the magnificent
Polish Cathedrals in Chicago. The
Renaissance style edifice was completed in 1914, it is one of the few octagonal houses of worship in the archdiocese. There are 25 stunning
stained glass windows
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
, depicting the
Gospel, and the
lives of the saints.
Church in architecture books
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See also
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Polish Cathedral style churches of Chicago
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Polish Americans
Polish Americans ( pl, Polonia amerykańska) are Americans who either have total or partial Poles, Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing abou ...
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Poles in Chicago
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Roman Catholicism in Poland
External links
PGSA - St. Barbara Church HistoryArchdiocese of Chicago* http://www.myschoolpages.com/schools/stbarbaraelementary/about.cfm
* http://stbarbarachicago.org/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Barbara Church (Chicago)
Bridgeport, Chicago
Roman Catholic churches in Chicago
Polish-American culture in Chicago
Polish Cathedral style architecture
Christian organizations established in 1909