Remember My Church

Items

• St Thomas of Canterbury Altar
  This was an image taken of St. Thomas of Canterbury's altar found in the front, left side of the church. With a statue of the Virgin Mary praying in the center, this altar is meant to show the unity of varying cultures. The structure of the altar is meant to portray asian influence, in order to juxtapose the Neo-Classical "American" influence of the Church itself.
• St Thomas Exterior
  This is an image of the front exterior of St. Thomas of Canterbury Church founded in 1916. The building is one of the only churches in the Chicago area which has the American Neoclassical architecture often seen in government buildings. Its beautiful red bricks and imposing columns allow it to shine in Uptown, where it supports its parishioners with diverse service offerings.
• An Artist's Voice: Oral History with Sarah Crow
  Sarah Crow was interviewed due to her connection to and position as the artist- in- residence at St. Gregory the Great parish in Chicago, IL. Crow is a Catholic artist and contributes to the parish in many ways such as conducting tours and holding art workshops. In this interview, she was asked primarily about her role at the church and how she contributes to the community. She was able to provide an abundance of information about the history of art and architecture of St. Gregory the Great. Additionally, she describes the continued tradition of art at the parish, St. Gregory being labeled the “arts and cultural center” of the three parishes affiliated with Mary, Mother of God. This interview was conducted over phone and was about twenty minutes in length, transcribing to about five pages.
• St. Ita's weekly mass schedule
  This is a screenshot of St. Ita's weekly mass schedule. It can be found on the Mary, Mother of God website. It lists the times for both the English and Spanish mass services. It showcases the diversity of services offered at St. Ita, which demonstrates their commitment to serving their community to the best of their abilities.
• Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection/Domingo de Ramos de la Pasión del Señor
  This is a link to the recording of the 2024 Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection/Domingo de Ramos de la Pasión del Señor Spanish service. This video can be found on the Mary Mother of God Facebook page. It was initially published as a live stream and is now available as a video.
• Oral History with Leroy Blommaert
  This interview is with Leroy Blommaert, a long time parishioner of St. Ita's Church. Leroy speaks about his time with St. Ita's since he joined the parish in 1965, including the time he spent as an usher as well as a money counter at the church. He also discusses how the parish has changed over time, commenting on the merger and his thoughts on the future of the community. Blommaert also speaks about the church architecture and how he values it. His favorite part of the church is the design of the building because it stands out against its surroundings due to its nature in the French Gothic Style.
• Shrine to Our Lady of Caridad del Cobre
  An image of the Shrine to Our Lady of Caridad del Cobre, originally located on the Mary Mother of God website. This shrine, created in the 1970s, is located in the back of St. Ita church. The shrine depicts Mary carrying the baby Jesus above Cuban fishermen. The story behind this statue is very important to the Cuban people, and Our Lady of Caridad del Cobre (Our Lady of Charity of Cobre, Cuba) is the patron saint of Cuba.
• St. Gregory the Great Church Photographs
  Beginning in the early 19th century, there was an emergence of Medieval style churches reflecting European descents; referred to as the Gothic Revival movement. This architectural style of St. Gregory was stunning enough for Cardinal Mundelein to describe it as “a medieval gen in a modern setting.” This Norman Gothic Church, whose construction was finished in 1926, was designed by the architects Comes, Perry, and McMullen of Pittsburgh. St. Gregory was a result of the surrounding development and movement in Chicago. The community was so proud of their church that the founding Fr. Klausen created a booklet to explain the meaning and symbolism of various shrines and art throughout the church. St. Gregory was designed and remains today a repository of sacred artistic treasures. Some of these works produced by Old World artisans include an altar of sacrifice made from the former Communion rail, a Holy Rood beam, and a hand-carved filigree pulpit displaying the Four Evangelists. As of now, the St. Gregory church is part of a parish called Mary, Mother of God (2020). This was a result of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s “Renew My Church” program. They combined three churches into one parish - St. Ita and St. Thomas of Canterbury alongside St. Gregory the Great. Here we focus on the beauty and history of St. Gregory, surviving reforms and remaining an integral parish to the community.
• Mary Mother of God Current Newsletter
  A snippet of a current Newsletter found in the St. Thomas church vestibule. It carries the Mary, Mother of God title and contains Mass Times, Office Hours, and other miscellaneous information a parishioner might need.
• St. Thomas Pantry Newsletter
  The front cover of the St. Thomas of Canterbury Food Pantry is located in the basement of the church in Uptown. The Pantry has operated since at least 1971 and is the largest food bank in the Chicagoland Area. It was founded by a Catholic Worker House member named Jim Eber. The newsletter lists when the pantry is open and that they are hiring.
• St. Thomas of Canterbury External View
  The exterior view of St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church.