Seven electric lights burn. They are at Our Lady’s shrine. These lights at Holy Family Catholic Church commemorate a promise. This promise links back to the Great Chicago Fire.
Welcome to Holy Family Church. It stands as Chicago’s second-oldest church. It is a survivor of the Great Chicago Fire. Father Arnold Damen founded Holy Family in 1857. Bishop Anthony O’Regan wanted it. Damen envisioned a large complex. It would serve Catholic immigrants.
Concerns arose about funding. This was due to the Panic of 1857. Yet, Damen raised thirty thousand dollars. Poor immigrant families contributed small amounts. A plain wooden church served first. Later, a grander building arose.
The permanent church was dedicated in 1860. Thirteen bishops attended the ceremony. Bishop John Bernard Fitzpatrick celebrated mass. Archbishop Peter Kenrick preached. John Van Osdel designed the church. He was Chicago’s first registered architect. Fifteen more buildings joined the grounds. This created Damen’s religious center. Saint Ignatius College was one of these buildings. It later became Saint Ignatius College Prep. It also became Loyola University Chicago.
Holy Family Church remarkably survived the Chicago Fire in 1871. Damen was preaching in Brooklyn then. He invoked Our Lady of Perpetual Help. He asked her to protect the church. He promised to light seven candles. These would burn before her statue. The church and nearby structures were spared. Today, electric lights symbolize those candles.
Patrick and Catherine O’Leary attended Holy Family. They owned the cow rumored to have started the fire. By the 1890s, Holy Family boasted 25000 parishioners. It was the largest English-speaking congregation in the United States. The membership changed over time. It shifted from Irish to Italian. Then Hispanic and African-American populations followed.
Holy Family fell into disrepair in the late 20th century. By 1987, only a few parishioners remained. There were plans to tear it down. A smaller church would replace it. But parishioners and Father George Lane resisted. They formed the Holy Family Preservation Society. They aimed to save the century-old building.
They needed one million dollars by December 30 1990. Donations poured in. Oprah Winfrey contributed fifty thousand dollars. A 24-hour prayer vigil was held. It was for Our Lady of Perpetual Help’s intercession. The vigil drew crowds of Chicagoans. Many had family history at Holy Family. They exceeded their goal with $1011000. Restoration began in 1991. It cost over three million dollars.
In 2003, another fire threatened Holy Family Church. Firefighters used infrared technology. They tracked the fire. They extinguished it before it reached the sanctuary. The church was spared again.
The original church was 146 feet long. It was 85 feet wide. Transepts were added in 1862. This increased the width to 125 feet. The nave was extended in 1866. The length became 180 feet.
Holy Family houses Chicago’s oldest stained-glass windows. They were made in 1860. Additional stained-glass windows were installed in 1907. They celebrate the parish’s golden jubilee.
A pipe organ was purchased in 1870. It had 64 stops and 23944 pipes. Charles Oliver Dauphin created the angel sculptures around the organ. Holy Family holds the largest collection of his work.
The church’s tower was built in 1874. It was the tallest structure in Chicago. This lasted until 1890. Bronze bells cast in 1860 are in the tower. They were automated during the 1990s restoration.
Holy Family Church stands as a testament to faith. It also shows community resilience. Its history is rich with stories of survival. It is a place of beauty. It is a beacon of hope for generations.