Arts & Entertainment Event highlights of the week!
SportsWise
The SportsWise Team discusses the pros and cons of Rate Field vs. Wrigley Field experiences.
HealthWise
The importance of vaccines, especially for seniors.
Cover Story: Chicago's Own Pope Leo XIV Mildred Martinez Prevost was raised in the legendary Chicago Catholic tradition through high school, college and graduate school to become the mother of Pope Leo XIV. StreetWise traces her family's addresses on the Near North Side, her experiences in the performing arts -- and the importance of education in helping Chicago Catholics emerge from marginalization.
The Playground
ON THE COVER: Pope Leo XIV in his first appearance on St Peter's balcony (Alessandra Tarantino/AP photo). THIS PAGE: Pope Leo XIV during an audience with the media on May 12 (Edgar Beltrán photo). DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.
Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher dhamilton@streetwise.org
Julie Youngquist, Executive director jyoungquist@streetwise.org
Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Compiled by Dave Hamilton
Celebrate You!
Chicago Pride Fest
A celebration of LGBTQ+ pride & community organized by Northalsted Business Alliance on the weekend before the Pride Parade (June 21 & 22, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily) features music on three stages, vendors, food, a Youth Pride Space for teens, best of Chicago drag performance, Miss Foozie’s Proud Pet Parade with prizes, dance exhibitions, Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, guest speakers and 150+ food and merchandise vendors. Headliners include Deborah Cox, Jesse McCartney, Shea Couleé and many more. On Halsted St, from Addison to Grace streets. A $20 suggested donation for entry helps pay performers and festival workers, and supports local nonprofits & community programs like the Chicago Pride Crosswalks: 14 rainbow-paved intersections installed in 2019 that make up the longest installation of its kind in the world. pridefestchicago.com
Real Independence!
Far South Juneteenth Festival
The nonprofit Far South Community Development Corporation (Far South CDC)—an organization that provides strategic community-building services to residents and businesses across Chicago’s Far South Side neighborhoods and south suburban Cook County— presents its Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 21 from 1-6 p.m. The festival will be held in the parking lot of Maple Park Marketplace, 821 W. 115th St., This FREE all-ages event celebrates the Juneteenth holiday by inviting Far South Side communities together for an afternoon of family fun, live music, food from local Black-owned restaurants, small business and housing workshops, and a resource vendor fair including social service, housing and government agencies. Featured restaurants include Harold's Chicken, The Cajun Connoisseur, Whadda Jerk and Rainbow Cone.
Reduce, Reuse ReFest!
Re:Fest
Re:Fest is a sustainability-themed street festival, a June 21 eco-friendly extravaganza to benefit The Rebuilding Exchange, a social enterprise that reduces construction waste, reuses architectural salvage -- and trains people for careers in the building trades. From noon to 8 p.m. at its 1740 W. Webster headquarters, Re:Fest will feature live bands – Lew Apollo (pictured), Midwest Blender Company, North by North, and Street Dove, (which will all be at Lollapalooza) – and Sonic Motel; a Kids’ Zone with bounce houses, 35 artisan makers, local food trucks and six local breweries (Burnt City, Revolution, Solemn Oath, Old Irving, Illuminated, and Conrad Seippe), reclaimed materials drop-off; and more. Free admission. Details on Eventbrite.
Moving Art!
LED Wall Art Exhibition
150 Media Stream, located in the lobby of 150 N. Riverside Plaza, is an installation that features 89 vertical LED blades, stretches over 150 feet, and reaches 22 feet high — making it the largest structure of its kind in Chicago. Currently on view is brand-new work by four artists — Colin Goldberg, Renata Janiszewska, Karen La Fleur, and Jan Swinburne — created specifically for 150 Media Stream’s 150-foot-long LED wall. Through innovative use of digital tools, motion graphics, and abstract visual language, the artists reimagine expressionism for a 21st-century context, offering a fresh take on emotional and aesthetic storytelling. FREE public viewing hours are Fridays 6–8 p.m.; Saturdays 1–5 p.m.; Sundays 1–5 p.m. though July 20.
Prayers & Laughs!
‘Faith is Funny’
In “Faith is Funny: Comedy Writers on God and Religion” on Monday, June 23 at 6 p.m. at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave., leading comedians Negin Farsad (pictured), Hari Kondabolu, and Kate Sidley talk with “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” host Peter Sagal about why religion is so hilarious and how their faiths—Jewish, Hindu, Catholic, and Muslim—inform their jokes. From “Sister Act” to “The Book of Mormon,” “The Righteous Gemstones” to “Groundhog Day,” religion has been a fertile ground for funny writers, getting serious ideas about American culture across with a laugh. Event tickets are $26, with discounts for students and seniors, at fineartsbuilding.com/events/american-prophets-faith-is-funny
A Gallery Open to All!
‘Tom Torluemke: Live! On Paper, 1987 - 2024’
Tom Torluemke is a contemporary artist whose practice spans 40+ years and includes works in painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, and various mediums. Tom is known for his powerful, no-holdsbarred approach to subject matter relating to socio-political, ethical, and humanistic themes. His work is on display at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., through July 27. Open daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. FREE.
Pier Party!
Navy Pier Summer Block Party
Enjoy a full day of live music, DJs, and free, family-friendly fun, including arts and crafts, video games, interactive spray paint murals, and classic games like corn hole and hopscotch. Wrap up the evening with front row seats to a spectacular free fireworks show over Lake Michigan. FREE at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.
Rowing for Charity!
Dragon Boat Race for Literacy
Chinese dragon boat races date back 2,000 years. Hosted by the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce since 2000, the family event includes music and cultural dance performances. Each team consists of 20 rowers, a steerperson and a drummer. FREE to watch from the comfort of Ping Tom Memorial Park, 300 W. 19th St. on June 21 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Learn more at ccc-foundation.org
‘Rice to the Occasion’
Battling Stereotypes!
For 30 years “Stir Friday Night,” Chicago's longest-running AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) comedy team, has been making people laugh. This show is no exception. As they gear up for their milestone 30th anniversary sketch revue in the fall, “Stir Friday Night” has roped some of their best and funniest ensemble members for “Rice to the Occasion,” an evening of sizzling, flavorful comedy at Steppenwolf, 1650 N. Halsted St. on June 20 & 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $28 at steppenwolf.org
A Beloved Classic!
‘The Color Purple’
The musical stage adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning novel is a heart-rending, yet ultimately joyous, story of a young woman’s perilous journey of personal awakening in the American South. Come ready to shout in church, stomp at the juke joint, laugh and cry with unforgettable “come-to-glory gospel hymns, down-and-dirty bump-and-grinds, jazz that stutters, dips and dives, and gorgeous alto arias” (Chicago Sun-Times). The Color Purple runs June 21 - July 27 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Tickets start at $33 at GoodmanTheatre.org/Purple or by phone at 312.443.3800.
rate field vs. wrigley Field
John: Today we’re talking about baseball venues: Rate Field, where the Chicago White Sox play, versus the iconic Wrigley Field and its neighborhood. What are the pros and cons?
William: Wrigley Field has improved because they have a garage now, so there’s parking. The problem I do have, one of the cons, is if you are going to a ball game with your wife and kids, there’s nowhere to go afterward because it’s all bars. As far as Rate Field, there’s nothing there besides the ballpark.
John: But there’s parking lots there. Did you know people tailgate there?
William: That I didn’t know. One thing I like is that when they go to a commercial break, they do fun stuff on the Jumbotron, like sandwich races or a hot dog racing some other sandwich. And, it’s a lot cheaper than a Cubs game. You can go to a Cubs game for the cost of three or four White Sox games.
John: Did you know they have a sports bar inside the ballpark, but it’s only open during the baseball season.
William: If the Bears or the Sox relocate over on Roos-
evelt at the 78, hopefully they will put up some other stuff, for people to enjoy after the game, at least a few things to take your kids. Wrigley, they have a McDonalds and a Taco Bell.
Russell: Pros and cons. Wrigley Field, one of the oldest and most iconic parks in Major League Baseball, a classic baseball experience, known for a passionate fan base, especially in the bleachers; ivy-covered walls and a handturned scoreboard. The surrounding neighborhood is bustling with plenty of bars and restaurants. The cons: attending a game there can be expensive, especially with prominent matchups. And due to neighborhood restrictions, there are a limited number of night games. Parking can be difficult and expensive.
John: As far as Wrigley Field, I love the atmosphere at the ballpark; it’s like New Orleans
at Mardi Gras. There are cool pickups. Beautiful women pick up men and guys pick up girls. You get the feeling you are in the ballpark; you could probably talk trash to the players and they would hear you. And as far as kids, you could take them to Culver’s, which is even better than McDonalds. They opened a half block west of Clark on Addison. Wrigley Field can be an allday event. The only bad side is it’s so pricey, especially if the Dodgers, New York Yankees or St. Louis Cardinals are in town. I would not recommend sending a family of four to Wrigley Field, unless maybe for the Pittsburgh Pirates or Miami Marlins.
As far as Sox park, the only good thing I can say is they make it very affordable. And also, they have elevators, so it is disability accessible. If they build the 78 project, hopefully the White Sox will get some hotels. But then you might not be able to send a
family of four anymore.
William: Russ mentioned the ivy-covered walls. My biggest fear is the Ricketts family will get money hungry and decide billboards would look better there.
Russell: The White Sox have more affordable ticket prices. Guaranteed Rate Field: cons: less historic ballpark. It lacks the historic charm. It can have lower attendance, which leads to lower energy.
John: Guaranteed Rate Field also has fireworks, (when the Sox take the field in the first inning and after every home run and every Friday home game this season except June 27 and Independence Day).
Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com
Vendors (l-r) Russell Adams, William Plowman and John Hagan chat about the world of sports.
The importance of Vaccines for seniors
The immune system’s purpose is to protect you from harmful substances and germs that enter the body. As people get older, their bodies don't fight off infections as well as they used to for a number of reasons. Their immune systems get weaker. Vaccines help make the immune system stronger to keep people healthy. A vaccination is a simple, safe, and effective way to protect the body against diseases before coming in contact with them.
Vaccines are helpful in the following ways:
• Vaccines can stop serious diseases and infections that affect older people. For example, the flu, pneumonia, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), COVID and shingles can make anyone sick, no matter their age. These illnesses can be more severe in older adults.
• Vaccination can help prevent serious illnesses that can lead to costly treatments and hospital stays. Many of these vaccines may not stop you from getting a specific illness but can possibly lower how dangerous the symptoms are and/or lead to shorter healing times.
• When seniors get vaccinated, they are less likely to spread diseases to others. This lowers the risk of spreading in many different locations, including the home and community. This is very important in places like nursing homes and retirement communities, where many people live close together.
• Vaccinations can help prevent illness so that seniors stay healthy. Good health means being able to continue doing the things they enjoy. Being healthy means they can enjoy social activities, travel, and spend time with family and friends without worrying about getting sick.
It is important to see a healthcare provider yearly for a general checkup. Seniors often need to be seen more often to manage their ongoing medical conditions. As part of a plan to stay healthy, these are some vaccines that seniors should think about getting:
• Flu Vaccine: The flu vaccine is updated yearly based on the most common types of flu strains. Some flu vaccines are made especially for people ages 65 and older, giving them extra protection.
• Pneumonia Vaccine: Protects against pneumonia and other serious infections caused by a certain type of bacteria.
• Shingles Vaccine: Shingles is related to chicken pox. If you had chicken pox as a child, you may be at risk of getting shingles later in life. This vaccine prevents shingles and its painful complications.
• Tdap Vaccine: Protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Get a booster shot every 10 years.
• COVID-19 Vaccine: Stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
• RSV Vaccine: Protects against this virus, which can cause serious lung infections.
Vaccinations are very important to keep seniors healthy. Vaccines protect against serious diseases and illnesses so that seniors stay active and independent. It's important for older adults to get the recommended vaccines based on their medical conditions and risk factors. Talk to your healthcare provider to know if and when you need these vaccines.
Dr. Marina Claudio is a board-certified family physician who has been in practice since 2003. She is currently a Medical Director at Molina Healthcare of Illinois/Wisconsin. She's a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the UIC/Advocate Illinois Masonic Family Medicine Residency Program.
by Dr. Marina Claudio
Exploring The chicago roots of Pope Leo XIV & his mother
by Suzanne Hanney
Mildred Martinez Prevost gained an education in the best Chicago Catholic tradition to become the mother of Pope Leo XIV.
Mildred was a member of the Class of 1929 at The Immaculata, which the school paper called “one of the most representative of all.” The high school was at Irving Park Road and Marine Drive from 1921 to 1981.
Immaculata was also among the most diverse high schools in Chicago when I went there, during the same generation as the pope. Besides girls of Irish and German ancestry, my classmates were from Lake Meadows/ Bronzeville, Chinatown and Ukrainian Village. Sometimes they performed in ethnic costumes at assemblies – as they did in Mildred’s day.
Rubbing shoulders with so many other girls of varied ancestries, I felt connected to the world. I was “American,” but with wider sensibilities. It made me proud of Chicago – and now, of Cardinal Robert F. Prevost as our new pope.
Mildred Martinez was raised by a widowed mom in Holy Name Cathedral parish, or a neighborhood known as "Towertown." From the 1900s through the 1930s Depression, the neighborhood surrounding the Water Tower was affordable and bohemian, due to the large number of subdivided old mansions and small apartment buildings.
Mildred’s sister Hilda also graduated from Immaculata, in 1926; soon afterward, she entered the order of nuns who taught there, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs), and became known as Sr. Mary Amarita, B.V.M. She was a music teacher who served in Clinton, IA; Tigard, OR, and Grayslake until her death in 1945. Mildred and Hilda likely rode to The Immaculata High School on the No. 36 Broadway streetcar, which follows the same bus route today. From Broadway and Irving Park Road, they would have walked the final windy two-blocks east to the school, located just steps from Lake Michigan.
The most significant event of Mildred’s high school years was the 28th International Eucharistic Congress of June 20-24, 1926, at the end of her freshman term. While not quite a red star on Chicago’s flag like the world’s fairs
of 1893 and 1933, the congress drew 8.3 million participants (some attending more than one event, meaning a lower number of individuals) at masses, lectures and receiving the Eucharist). Attendees came from Mexico, France, Poland, Italy, Germany, China and New Zealand. Pope Pius XI sent a delegation of six cardinals and 60 bishops. The primate of Ireland, Cardinal Patrick Joseph O’Donnell of Armagh, celebrated a solemn high mass at Immaculata.
Cardinal George Mundelein had started advocating for the Eucharistic Congress in 1924, with the promise to Pope Pius XI of one million communion recipients. Cardinal Mundelein, city government, local businesses and everyday people created a milestone, not only for Chicago, but for Catholics in the United States, according to a September 2021 blog by the University of Dayton.
The reason was that there had been anti-Catholic bias since the earliest days of the U.S., “with many doubting whether a faithful Catholic could also be a good American citizen,” according to the blog. The successful congress demonstrated both the growing tolerance for Catholics and Chicago’s growth as a major city.
A new central Catholic high school system was a dream of Cardinal Mundelein (see sidebar, p. 12) and the same intensity was apparent in the new Immaculata. The November 1928 school paper, in Mildred’s senior year, described the fundamentals of “American Education Week:” …love of God and Country, but most important – “liberty, justice and equal opportunity for all.” An important fact “which ought to be printed indelibly on the mind of every high school and college student is the necessity of fidelity to our duties as citizens of the United States.”
Scholastics were key, but so was religion. Every year, “just as the business man realizes the necessity of a regular checking up of his business affairs to secure an estimate of his standing,” the girls undertook a Jesuit-led retreat. It was a time to look inward – for silence at school and at home – and for spiritual reading. Ironically, the school paper quoted the prayer of St. Augustine: “Teach me, O Lord, to know myself and to know Thee.” Robert Prevost was global leader of the Order of St. Augustine from 2001 to 2013.
Kneeling and making sure your hem touched the floor was a common experience for Catholic schoolgirls in 20th century Chicago. Modesty and regimented nuns go together in books and plays about growing up in Chicago, but Chicago historian Ellen Skerrett says that stereotype misses the point.
“To my mind, [the nuns] were orienting them to live in the larger world. Every school – WASP academies too -- had that.”
A favorite ritual was Christmas Candlelighting. The Senior Class president held a candle to the school oratory’s vigil light and then went to each homeroom president. After a procession to the auditorium for carols, all the candles were extinguished except one.
The 40 days of Lent came in the middle of the school year. The girls agreed to forego movies from Ash Wednesday to Easter and to abstain from confections; money they saved went to the missions. So did the money for Valentines. When Mildred died in 1990, her obituary in the Chicago Tribune requested contributions to the Augustinian Missions in Peru in lieu of flowers.
Another mission they supported was very much like StreetWise. Old magazines went to the Catholic Salvage Bureau, to be sold by destitute boys.
For Mother’s Day, the girls offered communions they had taken as a prayer for their mothers, but also for mothers in Purgatory, “who have no daughters to plead their cause.”
The Immaculata also won a contest among Chicago’s 40 Catholic girls’ high schools and colleges in May 1929 for its “Credo” on conduct, specifically “Modesty in Dress,” in answer to a request from Pope XI.
The Credo read, in part, that the decrease in respect for women was largely due to immodesty in dress. The girls resolved to wear skirts that covered their knees, whether standing or sitting.
Schools like Immaculata, Skerrett said, “were drawing girls from all over, who came by public transportation. Their education enabled many of them to go to college and get jobs, even during the Depression, to work in places like the telephone company or the front office of mail order houses like Sears, Roebuck, to bring home paychecks that were crucial in keeping their families going. Immaculata was a beautiful place created by women for women, just an invaluable experience, and the pope’s mother was a part of that. It maybe influenced him in ways her sons never even thought about.”
Mildred’s oldest son, Louis, told the New York Times that she would “belt out” her own rendition of the Ave Maria, which she even recorded. She performed in school plays and skits, sang in the choir, volunteered on the church altar and rosary society. She and her school superintendent husband created a family life cocooned in service.
Mildred had been a conservatory student at Immaculata and was mentioned in the school paper three times her senior year. She sang Franz Liszt’s Liebestraume No. 3 at a Feb. 8, 1929 recital and was part of a duo in a May 17 recital. Near the end of the school year, she also had the lead in the double-cast school play, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.” The three-act opera was based on the tale of a mystic piper who led children away from a medieval German town that would not pay up when he rid it of rats.
The Class of 29 handed over authority to the juniors with a banquet at the Blackstone Hotel. For graduation day,
the 200 girls appeared in white dresses on the school stage, in a photo that ran in the Chicago Tribune. The entire class sang Rossini’s chorus, “The God of Israel,” with a second chorus, Haydn’s “The Heavens Are Telling,” before conferring of diplomas.
First, however, there were fanciful Senior Prophecies. Some girls dreamed of leaving for New York, meeting up individually or in groups. They would go big game hunting in Africa and they would become “world champion aviatrix.” (Amelia Earhart and Bessie Coleman had both begun their careers in 1921.) They would do steam calliope recitals for youth in China and provide Alaskans with Eskimo pies.
None of the girls imagined that one of them would be mother of the pope.
-Contributing, Jennifer Head, BVM Congregation Archivist and Ellen Skerrett
Living in Towertown
Pope Leo XIV’s family is first listed in the Lakeside Directory of 1913, available at the Chicago History Museum. His mother was Mildred Agnes Martinez, and his grandfather was Joseph N. Martinez, a cigarmaker, one of several named Martinez. According to the Historic New Orleans Collection, they were Creole, rooted in the earliest days of Louisiana. People.com quoted Vatican News that their ancestry was Spanish.
Joseph N. had a home address of 223 W. Superior St. and with no business address, presumably worked from home. Mildred’s sister Marguerite, a bookkeeper, was newly listed in 1915, possibly just employed after high school graduation. Sister Irma, a stenographer, is in the 1916 book, when the family lived at 63 W. Superior St.
Joseph died in 1925, and Louise, “wid Jos N.,” is listed as a “tester” (possibly of cigars) with a home address of 881 Rush St. (near Delaware), in the 1928-29 directory, along with daughter Lydia, a clerk. Two more siblings are Sr. Mary Sulpice Martinez, R.S.M., who died in 1999 after 77 years as a Sister of Mercy; and Sr. Mary Amarita Martinez, B.V.M, (see main story).
Later directories known as “white pages” just listed addresses and phones. “Jos N. Martinez” is at 879 N. Rush from 1931 to 1936, and then at 12 E. Cedar St.
Louise died in 1945, but the listing was still in the December 1947-September 1948 directory, so Mildred must have lived there until she received her bachelor’s degree in education in 1947 and worked as a school librarian. Graduating high school just before the start of the Great Depression, she attended Mundelein College (built for women in 1929-30 by the BVM religious order at the behest of Cardinal George Mundelein and now part of Loyola University) intermittently from 1935 to 1941, as shown by vocal performance programs in Loyola’s Women and Leadership Archives. She received a graduate degree at DePaul University, as did Louis M. Prevost, whom she married in 1949. He was superintendent of the Glenwood school district, and they had three sons: Louis, John and Robert – Pope Leo.
From Left: Official portrait of Pope Leo XIV (Vatican Media – All rights reserved). Senior composite photos of his mother, Mildred A. Martinez, and his aunt, Hilda Martinez. (Sisters of Charity BVM Archives). A photo of the Glee Club, with Mildred on Dec. 9, 1937. (Photos courtesy of the Women and Leadership Archives, Loyola University Chicago). Right: Winter in Towertown, approx. 1920 (unknown photograper). PAGE 9: Mundelein clippings featuring Mildred Martinez. (Courtesy of the Women and Leadership Archives, Loyola University Chicago).
Immaculata: Redefining catholic
The new Immaculata High School attended by Pope Leo XIV’s mother and sister was part of Archbishop George Mundelein’s dream of a secondary school system for Chicago. The great European immigration was over, and it was time for Chicago Catholics to emerge from their small parish schools and join the American mainstream.
The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs) had opened St. Mary’s, the first central girls’ high school in the United States in 1899, so Archbishop Mundelein turned to them for the North Side school in 1917.
So many St. Mary’s graduates passed the test for Chicago teachers that Ella Flagg, the first female superintendent of public schools, wanted to impose a quota, which did not happen, says Chicago historian Ellen Skerrett. The nuns knew the aspirations of parents, because they were daughters and granddaughters of immigrants themselves. “They wanted an education that would propel daughters into college or jobs as secretaries in front line offices, not vocational labor.”
The BVMs looked at the former Potter Palmer mansion at 1350 N. Lake Shore Drive, but deemed it too close to downtown. Instead, in June 1921 they chose the 20-room mansion of the late Ralph Greenlee, on Irving Park Road with 400 feet of frontage on the new extension of Lake Shore Drive.
“The nuns put up their money,” Skerrett said. “St. Mary’s was founded without any money from the archdiocese and the same was true for Immaculata.” They took a 10year, $250,000 mortgage with Chicago Title and Trust at 5½ percent.
However, neighboring property owners greeted news of a Catholic high school on the Greenlee site with a petition to keep it out. Wary of rumored pranks when the first classes began in the mansion in fall 1921, the nuns marched the girls in silence to the Broadway streetcar. If they wanted to celebrate, they had to go a mile north to Lawrence, an entertainment district.
The new school building opened with the 1923 school year. Archbishop Mundelein got his wish, because a photo in the Tribune identified it as “the last word in high schools… one of the finest institutions of its kind in the country.”
Skerrett stresses the beauty the nuns brought. Barry Byrne (1883-1967), an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright who managed Walter Burley Griffin’s office for a time, was chosen as architect and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Byrne wrote in “Catholic School Interests” of July 1922 that he expressed the school’s religious mission by mingling spiritual and human elements in his vertical treatment of the windows -- “so that the lines rise in one sweep from ground to cornice,”
catholic high school
similar to how “the monotonous repeat of a gothic church gives grandeur to its spaces.” Byrne went on to design St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Hyde Park, Christ the King in Tulsa, OK and Christ the King in Turners Cross, Cork, Ireland. He became a theorist on religious architecture in response to Catholic liturgical reform, according to his papers at the Art Institute of Chicago.
For the Irving Park entrance of the L-shaped building, Byrne contracted with Alfonso Iannelli, who with Edgar Miller designed an 11-foot Madonna for a niche above the door.
After Immaculata closed in 1981, the building was sold to the American Islamic College. Islam discourages human images, so the Madonna was taken down and stored in the Smart Museum in Hyde Park until 2013, when it went to the Iannelli Studios in Park Ridge.
In September 2022, the Chicago City Council approved the development of 437 senior citizen units in the former Immaculata building and a 22-story tower. It has since been a migrant shelter.
CHICAGO
Left: Immaculata High School June 16, 1965 Right: Main entrance (Harold Allen photos / courtesy of the Library of Congress)
