Today the history of St. Adalbert Church is a sad story of dramatic struggle for its survival, but it illustrates the extraordinary dynamics of American life, where churches were speedily built on an incomparable scale, but turned out to have feet of clay. Closing down a factory and ensuing demographic changes could make a parish decline as rapidly as it was first built. A lonely death of buildings which until recently were full of life and constituted a vital center for the community is always very sad, but when it concerns a particularly interesting place, it is especially difficult to come to terms with utilitarian pragmatism. However, it is easier to resent the situation than come up with a solution ensuring the continued existence of these buildings.

The history of the parish dates back to the 1870s, when the first community was founded and a church was built. The community was small, with moderate resources at its disposal and limited organizational possibilities, so the first Gothic Revival church it built was quite modest, though the tower which was added later gave it a more splendid character. Like in many similar cases, over the years the capacity of the church turned out to be insufficient, and in 1914, after over two years of work, the construction of the new, current building was completed.

In the case of American churches which were being built at that time reference to European architecture and art can be seen as natural. Usually it did not involve thoughtless copying of patterns, but rather being inspired by European architecture. Architects operating in the USA often mixed European models with earlier American designs. However, the relationship with Europe was not only understood on a purely artistic level. For many immigrants the church was not only a place of religious worship, but also an extension of the old country. The Poles wanted references to Polish culture in their churches, and it was manifested directly at the level of the detail: in individual furnishings, paintings, invocations, ”Polish” saints, scenes and historical figures, emblems and symbols, even though these signs are not as ubiquitous as one would expect. On the other hand, this relationship was much less direct at the level of architecture. The statements that the church looks or should look ”like in the old country” refer more to the character of the building than to individual solutions. In this respect, the architecture strongly rooted in German tradition but also referring to Roman patterns had to be good enough. This was the reality of the construction market, in which mass production prevailed over the need for artistic individuality of creation. Yet, this did not mean inferior quality or lack of individuality of particular solutions, but rather the use of a set of model solutions and adapting them to the place and the client’s needs and available resources.

The references to the Vatican basilica, common among the Catholic churches, may have represented the parishioners’ intention to emphasize their religious individuality in the melting pot of immigrant denominations. In this respect, the Church of St. Adalbert is somewhat unique with its very direct reference to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. The similarity of the interior is striking at first glance, but on careful consideration this is undoubtedly a more modest project, in terms of both structure and decoration. Even though the marbles were specially selected and imported from Italy, the reduction of the aisles and differences in decoration make the dissimilarity quite pronounced. Also, the two-tower façade is definitely of a different character. Admittedly, its lower part, especially the portico, is taken from Rome but the whole creates a different impression. The best models were also referred to in the interior design, which includes a copy of Michelangelo’s Pietà, copies of El Greco’s works, the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa and The Immaculate Conception after Murillo, among others. The whole is complemented with painting decoration: the image of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb on the vault in the apse, and two historical scenes of national character on the chancel arch – the defense of Jasna Góra and the wedding of St. Hedwig and Władysław Jagiełło.

The history of the parish includes a dramatic moment. In the 1970s, following the changes of the ethnic structure of the local community, its further existence was threatened. Allegedly, the closure of the church was already considered at that time. The deteriorating technical condition and declining community did not fill with optimism. Finally, in 2016 a decision was made to suspend the operation of the church. Soon afterwards, thanks to a bequest from one of the parishioners, the renovation budget was to be increased by three million dollars, but taxes and inheritance proceedings considerably reduced this sum and it turned out to be insufficient. The parishioners themselves managed to raise only two thousand dollars. The decision was made to sell the building to the Chicago Academy of Music. The plan was that the church was to preserve its historic character and it should be possible to celebrate the Mass there. However, the sale fell through. The church was put up for sale again, this time allowing for the building to be used for housing or commercial purposes. So far, however, no buyer has been found, and the Mexican-Polish community, with the support of the Polish Genealogical Society in Chicago, was trying to save it. For the time being, the Mass was celebrated there occasionally, also in Polish. Ultimately decision to close church of the St. Adalbert was made in July 2019.

Chronology

1874 - erection of the parish of St. Adalbert and starting the construction of the first church and school

1875 - opening the school

1874 - construction of the first brick church

1908 - construction of a new school

1912 - laying the cornerstone for a new church 

1914 - installation of the organ

1974 - first discussions on closing the parish

1978 - closing the school, demolition of the new school building

1980 - handing over the old school building to Cooper School

2016 - first decision to close the parish and unsuccessful attempt to sell the building

2018 - putting the parish up for sale again

2019 - Repeat decision to close church of the St. Adalbert

Text originally published in a book issued by the POLONIKA Institute.
Katarzyna Chrudzimska-Uhera, Anna Sylwia Czyż, Jacek Gołębiowski, Bartłomiej Gutowski, Polish parishes and churches in Chicago, Warszawa 2019, pp. 69-79.