Did a church in Chicago really dedicate its cornerstone without the Archbishop present? This is Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church. It was founded in 1909 for Irish Catholics. The neighborhood was growing fast! Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church needed a new building by 1923. The architect, Karl Vitzthum, was a parishioner. He designed a grand English Gothic structure. It had one notable feature: a twelve-story tower! Archbishop Mundelein thought it was too tall. Father Luttrell, the pastor, went ahead and dedicated the cornerstone without him. Unfortunately, Father Luttrell died before the church was finished. His funeral Mass was the first one held in the new building. The interior was completed by the next pastor, Father Dondanville. He also oversaw the installation of a magnificent altar and a Kilgen organ. The organ had been at the Century of Progress World’s Fair! By 1937, Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church was a prominent landmark. Its beautiful facade could be seen by anyone traveling into the city from the west on Washington Boulevard. The church continued to serve its community for many years. Eventually, it became Saint Martin de Porres Church in 1989. But the legacy of Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church lives on. The soaring tower still reminds everyone of its ambitious beginnings and the pastor who wasn’t afraid to stand up for his vision.
Congregation Or Torah
Rabbi Zvi Engel’s leadership guides Congregation Or Torah. This impressive Modern Orthodox Synagogue stands proudly in Skokie Illinois. It’s one