“Architectural standout” is quite the compliment isn’t it? Our destination today is Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church. It stands as a testament to faith and architectural beauty.
Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church is more than just a building. It’s a beacon of hope in the Beverly neighborhood. Built in 1955, this church is an architectural gem. Now, it is gaining citywide recognition.
Let’s talk about its unique style. Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church showcases Midcentury Modern design. Notice the clean cut limestone blocks. The gridded windows are also quite distinctive.
As you step inside Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church prepare to be amazed. An expansive brass framed stained glass piece welcomes everyone. It bathes the nave in boldly colored light. The interior details are equally impressive. Intricately painted imagery of Christ the King adorns the space. From a distance, it looks like mosaic tile.
Above the altar, a bronze crucifix hangs. The altar itself is made of rich marble. The architectural firm Fox and Fox Architects designed this masterpiece. They were parishioners during construction. The Fox family remains part of the Christ the King family today.
Now I tell you a bit more about another church in Chicago, St. Paul and the Redeemer. It grew from two 19th-century parishes. These were in Kenwood and Hyde Park. They merged in 1968. This church has a rich history. It reflects the neighborhood’s growth.
In 1857, Jacob Bockée and Catherine Wilkinson Bockée built a frame house. It was on Cornell Avenue south of 51st Street. This was in the new railroad suburb of Hyde Park. Neighbors joined them for lay led worship. In 1859, they established St. Paul’s Protestant Episcopal Church. It was named after the Bockée family’s church in New York.
After outgrowing the home, services moved to a community building. It then moved to the Presbyterian Church. After a failed effort in 1863, the congregation erected its own building. It was at the corner of Lake Park and 49th Street in 1868. The parish grew along with its neighborhood. Chicago annexed Hyde Park Township in 1889. Development surged with the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. The congregation bought the current site in 1892. They built a parish house in 1896. In 1901, they added a Gothic church. Ralph Adams Cram of Boston designed it with local architect Solon Beman.
In 1889, St. Paul’s established The Church of the Redeemer. It was a daughter parish at Blackstone and 56th Street. Redeemer quickly became self supporting. It developed into a liturgically high church. By 1910, it had daily Eucharist celebrations. It also had the Reserved Sacrament. Colored silk vestments were used as well. The parish built a long narrow church. In 1915, they added a Tudor Revival rectory. J.E.O. Pridmore designed these. He was best known as a theater architect.
At mid-20th century, St. Paul’s was known for its musical tradition. Chicago’s Music of the Baroque grew out of the St. Paul & the Redeemer choir in the early 1970’s. During these years, Church of the Redeemer committed to the civil rights movement.
The most notable midcentury event was the fire that destroyed St. Paul’s Church in March 1956. A second fire damaged the parish house two weeks later. The parish remained on the site. The present building was dedicated in November 1958.
In the 1960’s, Redeemer struggled to maintain its aging building. St. Paul’s faced administrative and fiscal difficulties. In January 1968, the two congregations began worshipping together at St. Paul’s. In March, they merged. They became the Church of St. Paul & the Redeemer.
So Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church and St. Paul & the Redeemer, while distinct, share a common thread. They represent the enduring spirit of faith in Chicago.