Remember My Church

Items

• Saint Ita Parish Auction and Supper Event in 1993
  This "90 + 3 Auction/Supper" event hosted by the Women's Club of Saint Ita, was a popular fundraising method used by the church. On October 19, 1993, located in the Jubilee Hall, this fundraising event started with a silent auction, then moved on to supper, and closed the night out with a live auction conducted by Joseph M. Canzoneri.
• Octoberfest at Saint Ita's in 1994
  Octoberfest was celebrated as one of the traditional fundraising experiences at Saint Ita's Parish on October 22, 1994. After paying to attend the event, guests were served an assortment of main course dishes, coffee or tea, and dessert.
• Newspaper Clipping - Six Million Pieces of Glass in Them - Stained Glass of St. Ita's
  This image is of a newspaper clipping speaking about how the stained glass at St. Ita's church contains six million individual stained glass pieces and how they glitter and produce a jewel-like effect when the sun shines on them. The newspaper also says they are called the finest in the country and it also speaks on how the main attention-grabbing image is of the crucifixion while also talking about the other stained glass that is a part of the church. There are many different depictions in the stained glass with some of the main figures being Christ, Mary, and a variety of the apostles. There are also depictions in the medallion windows that show different events in the books of the Bible.
• Newspaper Clipping Announcing Start of Work on New Uptown Church
  This image depicts a newspaper clipping talking about the new St. Ita building that was beginning to be built in 1923. The church was designed in the French Gothic style by Henry J. Schlacks. The church at the time cost $500,000 which in today's time (2024) costs $9,132,514.62. The church was being build on the northwest corner of Broadway and Catalpa. The church was allowed to be built after Rev. Crowe pleaded with Cardinal Mundelein. Henry J. Schlacks, the architect, designed not only the church itself but also the pulpit, and all of its furnishings inside.
• Picture of the Guild Hall that the St. Ita's Parish was founded in
  This image depicts the guild hall where Rev. John Crowe was tasked to establish the St. Ita's Parish. The guild hall was used for the meetings before the frame building of the church was created. It was home to meetings for different parts of the Edgewater community before they had their own buildings. The parish's first meeting was in the guild hall and the pastor gave the sermon on a wooden box in order to stand above the crowd. The guild hall was only a short part of the life of the church, it was only the meeting place for the parish for a couple months before the frame building that held the school building in the basement.
• Image of St. Ita's Organ and Rose Window
  A Black and white image of the organ and rose window located within St. Ita's church. The organ was installed under Monsignor Gerard Picard in 1951.
• Letter to Father Crowe to establish St. Ita Parish
  This image is a letter depicting Archbishop Patrick Feehan writing Reverend John Crowe to establish a new parish in the Edgewater community in Chicago, Illinois. The parish was established by him in 1900 in the guild hall that was nearby. The parish was established with 53 parishioner families in attendance. It was established to serve the Irish and German immigrants in the Edgewater community. The parish boundaries at the time were extensive and served many families in the community as it grew, eventually growing into a school and convent. Father Crowe helped grow the church through his meetings with the parish members and fundraising bazaars.
• Rev. Crowe Newspaper Announcement
  An image of a newspaper clipping announcing the death of Reverend J.H. Crowe. Rev. Crowe was killed in an automotive accident while he was crossing the street. The driver tried to flee but was caught by three people who witnessed the accident. The image is from August 30th, 1930. Father Crowe is to be remembered through his fundraising and through his talks with the parishioners about how to fundraising and how much they should raise. The parishioners remember Father Crowe through his walks around the parish and how he used to encourage the school boys from the rectory window with their efforts in their snowball fights.
• The Sanctuary at St. Ita
  A photograph of the interior of St. Ita's sanctuary decorated for the Christmas season.
• St. Ita's Centennial Celebration Book
  St. Ita's Centennial Celebration Book that describes the one-hundred-year history of St. Ita's Roman Catholic Church. The book starts by describing the renovations that were done to the church for the celebration occurring in 2000. It then describes all of the activities that occurred for the centennial celebration. The book goes on to describe the 100-year history of the church including how service was held in the Guild Hall and then moved to the church. At the end of the book, there are letters from St. Ita's staff experiencing their thanks to the public. There is also a page that includes advertisements for local businesses.