Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church (Chicago)
| St. Michael's | |
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| Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church | |
in January 2008, from Russell Park
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 St. Michael's
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| 41°44′42″N 87°32′51″W / 41.74500°N 87.54750°WCoordinates: 41°44′42″N 87°32′51″W / 41.74500°N 87.54750°W | |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Country | USA |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Founder(s) | Polish community (from Immaculate Conception parish) |
| Dedication | St. Michael the Archangel |
| Dedicated | May 23, 1909 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | William J. Brinkmann |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic or Neogothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1907 |
| Completed | 1909 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2000 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Chicago |
| Metropolis | Chicago |
St. Michael (Polish: Kościół Świętego Michała) is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. The current church is located at E. 83rd Street and S. South Shore Drive in South Chicago, a neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
It is a prime example of the so-called "Polish Cathedral style" of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with Immaculate Conception, it is one of the two monumental Polish churches dominating over the South Chicago neighborhood.
Founded in 1892 as a Polish parish in Chicago to relieve overcrowding at Immaculate Conception.
Bishop Paul Rhode, the first Polish auxiliary bishop in Chicago, served as pastor from 1897 until he was named bishop of Green Bay in 1915. The parish continued to serve Polish steel workers until the steel mills closed in the 1980s. Today the parish as well as the neighborhood are predominantly Latino.
Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki served as a priest at St. Michael's and then served as associate pastor from the time he was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Cody on May 10, 1978, until 1983.
The church was built between 1907 through 1909 designed by William J. Brinkmann. The Neogothic edifice is one of only three Polish churches in the Archdiocese of Chicago built in this style. The Gothic Revival façade, the choice of brick as well as the uneven steeples are an architectural homage to the Marian Basilica in Cracow. U.S. Steel donated the steel for the structure since 90% of the parishioners worked at the mills. The main altar reredos is constructed of butternut and bird's eye maple wood, as are the two side altars. The central statue of Michael the Archangel defeating Lucifer, the two incensing angels and the statues on the side altars were sculpted and painted by hand. The beautiful and rare communion rail is carved in oak with a white marble top. The interior of the church can seat approximately 2,000 people.
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Wikipedia