St. Adelbert's Church

Sunday, October 16, 2011

The first time I saw it, I fell in love with the neighborhood church my husband and his family attended. It is inspiring in its glorious vastness and beauty. On Sunday, we finally had an opportunity to take our grands to Mass there.

This photo of its twin towers was taken from the parking lot at the side of the church. I neglected to take a photo of the front of the church though so it was copied from an online source.

We met Marianne, Helen, Ted Jr., and Marianne's friend, Judy, in front of the church.

St. Adalbert Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. The church is located on 17th Street between Paulina Street and Ashland Ave in the Pilsen area of Chicago. St. Adalbert has served generations of Polish immigrants and their American-born children.

St. Adalbert's parish has seen many changes in the surrounding area since it was founded in 1874 to serve the needs of Chicago's Poles. This mother church of all the later Polish parishes on the West and South sides now serves the many Mexicans of the Pilsen neighborhood and has masses in Polish, English, and Spanish. The church itself is the gift of the Poles not just to the people of the surrounding area but to all of Chicago. It is truly a city treasure. If you are interested in more information, please go to  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Adalbert's_in_Chicago

How could anyone enter a space this magnificent and not be humbled?

A closeup of the altar overseen by the white-marble statue of the church's patron, St. Adelbert.

After explaining to the grands that they could receive a blessing from the priest when others went forward for communion, the two younger ones elected to do so. Watching them solemnly walk down that aisle with their arms crossed and them snuggling up to me when they returned to our pew, left me with tears streaming down my face. The pride and love I have for these three is unlike any other.

Lovin' Life ~~ Wanting for Words