St. Josaphat's in Chicago
Encyclopedia
St. Josaphat is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
located at 2311 North Southport Avenue in Chicago
, Illinois
.
It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style
' of church in both its opulence and grand scale. St. Josaphat's two massive Romanesque belltowers are a hallmark view of the Lincoln Park
skyline.
'national' parish for Cassubian
s — also referred to as Kaszubs or Kashubians — who, although Polish in national orientation, possess their own distinct culture and language marked by the distinct influences of their maritime way of life as well as German
culture. The parish served as a chiefly Polish congregation well into the second half of the twentieth century, with half of the 450 families belonging to the parish in 1980 being of Polish origin. The parish now serves a very diverse congregation in a newly prosperous, gentrified neighborhood. The recently renovated church, with its excellent music program and traditional architecture, has become very popular for weddings, with over 65 a year.
church, built at a cost of $125,000 in 1902, was designed by William J. Brinkmann
, who also drew plans for the Neogothic masterpiece of St. Michael's
in South Chicago.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
located at 2311 North Southport Avenue in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style
Polish Cathedral style
The Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...
' of church in both its opulence and grand scale. St. Josaphat's two massive Romanesque belltowers are a hallmark view of the Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
skyline.
History
Founded in 1884 as a PolishPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
'national' parish for Cassubian
Kashubians
Kashubians/Kaszubians , also called Kashubs, Kashubes, Kaszubians, Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic ethnic group in Pomerelia, north-central Poland. Their settlement area is referred to as Kashubia ....
s — also referred to as Kaszubs or Kashubians — who, although Polish in national orientation, possess their own distinct culture and language marked by the distinct influences of their maritime way of life as well as German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
culture. The parish served as a chiefly Polish congregation well into the second half of the twentieth century, with half of the 450 families belonging to the parish in 1980 being of Polish origin. The parish now serves a very diverse congregation in a newly prosperous, gentrified neighborhood. The recently renovated church, with its excellent music program and traditional architecture, has become very popular for weddings, with over 65 a year.
Architecture
The RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church, built at a cost of $125,000 in 1902, was designed by William J. Brinkmann
William J. Brinkmann
William J. Brinkman was an architect most well known for his work designing Chicago area churches. A son of German immigrants, he received his architectural training at the firm of Burnham and Root., where he eventually supervised the construction of Chicago's Masonic Temple, a skyscraper that...
, who also drew plans for the Neogothic masterpiece of St. Michael's
St. Michael's in Chicago
St. Michael - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at E. 83rd Street and S. South Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois....
in South Chicago.
See also
- Polish Cathedral style churches of Chicago
- Polish AmericanPolish AmericanA Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
s - Poles in ChicagoPoles in ChicagoChicago Polonia, refers to both immigrant Poles and Americans of Polish heritage living in Chicago, Illinois. They are a part of worldwide Polonia, the proper term for the Polish Diaspora outside of Poland. Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Chicago...
- Roman Catholicism in PolandRoman Catholicism in PolandEver since Poland officially adopted Latin Christianity in 966, the Catholic Church has played an important religious, cultural and political role in the country....