A Holy Place

Chicago’s St. Mary of the Angels Church has stunning architecture that’s nothing short of miraculous.

In Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, this towering and reverent building is home to one of the most beautiful churches in the city, St. Mary’s of the Angels. With ornate domed ceilings, twin bell towers, arched windows and Roman columns, the church is a prime example of the Polish Cathedral style that is modeled after the elaborate St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It is a visible presence even from the I-94 Expressway as visitors make their way into the city. Inside the views are just as breathtaking, with a grandiose pipe organ and majestic religious paintings done by John A. Mallin, a Czech-American mural and fresco painter residing in the Chicago area who painted many of the Archdiocese of Chicago churches in the 20th century. Though St. Mary’s of the Angels was first established in 1899 as a place of worship for the large population of Polish immigrants settling into Chicago, today it hosts a robustly diverse congregation.

A full view of St. Mary’s of the Angels nave, also known as the central part of the church featuring the center aisle that extends to the altar and rows of pews.

The church features several reflection spots; a closer look at the towering pipe organ; more of Mallin’s work.

Photography by Trashhand