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| St. Barbara Church | |
|---|---|
.jpg) St. Barbara's Church seen in 2024. | |
  St. Barbara Church | |
| 41°50′33″N87°39′10″W / 41.8425°N 87.6528°W /41.8425; -87.6528 | |
| Location | Chicago |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | St. Barbara Parish |
| History | |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Founder | Polish immigrants |
| Dedication | St. Barbara |
| Dedicated | 1914 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | For Polish immigrants |
| Architect | Worthmann and Steinbach |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Polish Cathedral style |
| Groundbreaking | 1912 (1912) |
| Completed | 1914 (1914) |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Chicago |
St. Barbara's in Chicago (Polish:Kościół Świętej Barbary) - historic church of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located inChicago,Illinois, at 2859 South Throop St.
It is a prime example of thePolish Cathedral style of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along withSt. Mary of Perpetual Help, it is one of two monumentalreligious edifices that dominate theBridgeport neighborhood's skyline.
Founded in 1909 as aPolish parish to relieve overcrowding atSt. Mary of Perpetual Help. Reverend Anthony Nawrocki, brother of St. Mary's pastor Stanislaus Nawrocki was the first pastor, thus the founding of the parish was a family affair in both the literal and figurative sense. In 2016, rumors began circulating surrounding the impending "Renew My Church" program. Rumors became reality in 2019 when the Archdiocese decided to "merge" St. Barbara with St. Therese Chinese Catholic School. However, unlike other "merge" plans in Renew My Church, St. Therese assumed possession of St. Barbara's school campus, administration, and rectory quarters.
The church was designed by the firm ofWorthmann and Steinbach who built many of the magnificentPolish Cathedrals in Chicago. TheRenaissance style edifice was completed in 1914, it is one of the few octagonal houses of worship in the archdiocese. There are 25 stunningstained glass windows, depicting theGospel, and thelives of the saints.
