Consider this brick building. It is not just any building. It is Saint Gabriel’s Catholic Church. This church stands near the old Stockyards in Chicago’s Canaryville neighborhood. Lee Bey, a Chicago architecture expert, featured Saint Gabriel’s in his book. The book highlights often-ignored architectural gems of Chicago’s South Side.
Saint Gabriel’s architect John Wellborn Root did something special. He set aside the usual neo-Gothic and Victorian styles. Instead, he created a bold brick building for the congregation. It has deep rooflines and a 160-foot corner tower.
Built for Irish immigrant workers, Saint Gabriel’s features a simplified Romanesque design. This emphasizes the building’s form and geometry over adornment. This gives the century-old church a hint of modernity. Root based his design on a medieval Romanesque church in Toulouse, France.
Saint Gabriel Church was organized in 1880 by Rev. Maurice J. Dorney. It was mainly for the Irish parish. These Irish immigrants worked in the Chicago stockyards. The cornerstone of the present church was laid in May 1887. This happened at 45th and Lowe Ave. Burnham and Root were the architects. Saint Gabriel’s is the only Catholic church they designed.
Rev. George Lane wrote about Saint Gabriel’s. He said Root chose the Romanesque style. Root felt it was appropriate as a simple home for the people. Root considered Saint Gabriel’s one of his finest designs. He especially liked the tall masonry bell tower. He called it the breaking of the day.
In 1935, Rev. Harold S. Trainor became the pastor. He hired John Mallin to decorate Saint Gabriel’s in 1936. The church was cleaned, redecorated, and restored to its original beauty. Mallin’s decorations included painting, decorating, gilding, and mural paintings.
The ceilings and walls were blended in delicate ivories and gray pastel shades. Panels of the main ceiling were richly decorated. The walls were stippled in three shades of color. They were decorated in a stone effect. The lower walls called dado were marbleized.
The sanctuary’s ornamental decoration was repainted. It was redesigned with a new ornament. This kept with the style of the Church architecture. It was shaded and highlighted by hand. It was edged with XX 23 Carat genuine gold leaf. The oil paintings were cleaned and preserved.
Saint Gabriel’s underwent changes in different time periods. In 1962, major renovations occurred. The ceilings above the side altars were lowered. Chandeliers and angels were removed. Recessed lighting replaced them. Many paintings were painted over or replaced. A huge cross with symbols of the seven sacraments was painted down the ceiling center.
The murals remaining in the Sanctuary in 1963 were partially intact. Background murals existed behind the removed or painted-over murals. Photos of the partial murals in the Sanctuary were taken by James Morris. The Library of Congress Photo collection has them. Two photos show the original Mallin decorations. They are in the St Gabriel Centennial book. They show complete murals in the Sanctuary.
All sanctuary murals were removed later. The exact date is unknown. Today, no Mallin decorations remain in Saint Gabriel’s Church. Saint Gabriel’s still stands as a testament. It reflects the spirit of its community. It also reflects its unique architecture. It has witnessed generations of faith and change.