Remember My Church

Items

• Stained Glass Windows of St. Ita's
  The stained glass at St. Ita's are a main staple of the church with them being present from inside and outside of the church. The stained glass is made with over six million individually stained glass pieces. The imagery depicted allows for people to understand the story of Christ if they are not able to read or are not familiar with the story of Christ. The art was part of the church designed by Henry J. Schlacks. The stained glass windows give a wonderful glow when the light hits them and shine through, representing God's light shining on the parishioners within. The St. Ita site on the Mary, Mother of God website gives a detailed account of each and every stained glass window that is present in the church.
• Daniel Lagacy Oral history interview
  Daniel Lagacy is the director of music and liturgy coordinator for the Mary, Mother of God parish. He has worked at St. Ita for over 20 years and has continued his role into the merger. In this interview, we discussed his religious and musical career within the church, and how this has intersected with the Mary Mother of God merger. In addition, this interview gives an insight into community building within the church, and how the church’s history has impacted the merger. This interview is roughly an hour and twenty minutes long. It took place in person in the St. Ita Rectory. “The interview took place as part of the Gathering Places project at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. For more information, see https://uwm.edu/gatheringplaces.”
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• A Letter to the Parishioners of Saint Ita
  In this letter from Pastor Gerard C. Picard sent to parishioners, it discusses Saint Ita's plan to expand their school to make more room for the students. Within the letter, it states that the school expansion would cost around $700,000 and would hopefully be finished within 30 months. Since the school expansion had such a high cost, the letter asked for donations and promoted their Fundraising Drive to raise money.
• Saint Ita School Picture Taken in 1968
  This is an image of the Saint Ita School's fourth grade class, pictured in 1968.
• Saint Ita School Graduating Class of 1959
  Pictured here is the Saint Ita School graduating class of 1959, making this the 55th class to have graduated from this school since its opening in 1904.
• The Saint Ita School Football Team
  Pictured is the Saint Ita School Football team that played during the school year.
• The Saint Ita School Cheer Team
  This is an image of the Saint Ita School Cheer Team, pictured in 1975.
• Eighth Annual Hardey-Ita Basketball Tournament Flyer
  The Saint Ita school had annual basketball tournaments against Hardey prep.
• Eighth Annual Hardey-Ita Basketball Tournament Flyer
  The Saint Ita school had annual basketball tournaments against Hardey prep.
• St. Thomas Letter
  This letter is to Father Michael Rochford from Bishop Clemens. The letter details the history of himself with the Church, and his connection to Chicago and St. Thomas. He speaks about how he lived in Chicago and served the Church under Father William Rogers. He talks about how his new mission in India is to spread Catholicism in the underdeveloped area. He was requesting funding for this project if there were any willing donors. This letter is significant in a couple of ways, as it shows that the church sticks with people in many ways, as this letter was written in 1981, and Bishop Clemens left the church in 1964 to move back to India. It also highlights the diversity that comes with St Thomas, as it being such a diverse Church they were able to have people from Asia and every corner of the world in their community.
• 1st Annual Ministry Fair
  This is a flyer of the 1st Annual Ministry Fair at St. Gregory in 2004. The Stewardship Council and Ministry Leaders have created this to engage with the community. The event went on from 9 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. It was held at St. Gregory's High School Cafeteria. Some things they were offering at this fair was "prayer, music, worship & spirituality, parish oversight," etc. The flyer has colorful balloons as the background. The Parish believed that having time for play is an essential for the “Parish family.” Each week the Parish provided a schedule with different activities on the bulletin board or in the parish paper. Some of these activities included festivals, boy/girl scouts, bowling, BINGO, etc.
• A General Edition of the The Chimes of Saint Ita Church
  In this edition of The Chimes, it gives parishioners Mass schedules in English and Spanish, as well as the Sunday, daily, and Holy Day Mass schedules.
• The Chimes of Saint Ita Church (1960s)
  For this edition of The Chimes, the Church features Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, and Lucy.
• The Chimes of Saint Ita Church, Thanksgiving Edition (1960s)
  In this edition of the Saint Ita Chimes, the church gives an insight to Thanksgiving prayer, and invites parishioners to receive the Holy Sacrifice of Mass.
• Architectural Facts
  Brochure/info sheet given to church visitors at St. Gregory the great with information about the historic building and items in the church and some of the physical features of the church that make it unique. Much of the build and decoration of the church has been there since it was first built. Many items were imported from Germany and hand carved and hand painted, despite the changing demographics of the the church, the influence of the culture of the first parishioners is seen in the interior. It was very important to the original churchgoers that the architecture and art of the church remained in a traditional northern European/German style.
• Parish Activities and organizations (late 1970s)
  Parish activities list from St. Gregory's 75th anniversary booklet published in 1978. The activities and organizations listed show the parish made an effort to include activities that would appeal to parishinors regardless of age or gender. Having activities and organizations that appeal to senior citizens or older people are important to keep the retired and elderly busy and ensure they are given oppertunities to socialize. Mothers clubs can also help stay at home parents meet friends because they were likely not meeting other adults through work or school. The Parish also offered boy and girl scouts to help children meet and interact with their peers.
• Parish Activities (late 1970s)
  Parish activities list from St. Gregory's 75th anniversary booklet published in 1978.
• Podium
  Podium for St Gregory the great church services. This was hand carved out of wood in Germany in the early 20th century. It has been at the church since it was first built. The podium features a spiral staircase and multiple saints carved around the podium including the one pictured. It was one of the most detailed works of functional art I saw at the church.
• St. Gregory the Great church in Chicago, IL
  St. Gregory is where these communities found a home. This church hosts a diverse and vibrant community of parishioners!
• List of the Luxembourger parishioners in German
  Luxembourgers settled in Chicago in the 1840s, some of them forming a tight knit community in the Summerdale neighborhood in Chicago. These Luxembourgers comprised of the original founders of the St. Gregory the Great Parish!
• Sarah Crow Oral History Clip
  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. In this clip, she answers the question; Can you recall a favorite memory or story involving your time as the artist in residence, perhaps teaching one of those classes?
• High School Activities in 1973
  These images depict a variety of activities from a 1973 high school yearbook, showcasing the vibrant student life and diversity of interests at the time. The first page includes snapshots of school assemblies and spirited events. We see a student, humorously "killed" for not eating a popular chocolate bar, and another playing his part in a Junior skit with a mop. The enthusiasm of the freshmen at their first assembly is palpable, as is the creativity of students impersonating the Bunkers, likely from the famous TV show "All in the Family". An alumni group is shown revisiting their high school days during a Homecoming Pep Rally, a testament to the lasting bonds and traditions that high school can create. The second page turns to the quieter side of student activities: chess and horseback riding. Chess, popular among the students, was played anywhere possible, symbolizing strategic thinking and competition. Although a ski club faced weather challenges, their spirit of adventure is noteworthy. The Faculty-Student Sailing Club highlights the collaboration between students and staff, with plans for Lake Michigan excursions emphasizing a sense of exploration and learning beyond the classroom. Together, these pages tell a story of a high school experience filled with laughter, learning, and the pursuit of a myriad of interests, from the performative to the intellectually challenging and the adventurous.
• St Thomas Bus Stop Advertisement
  This photo is a bus stop advertisement, taken sometime in the early 1980's, advertising the Church. The bus stop ad has the address, phone number, mass times, and the services that it offers. This photo highlights the diversity that is present within the community of the church. This is shown by the tagline "Mass in 4 languages" and showing the different times in the different languages for mass. The different cultures present in the Uptown area were not only acknowledged but celebrated, and much of the church revolved around how diverse the Church was: it was a place where everyone was welcome and no one was turned away.
• St Thomas Pulpit