Discover Catholic America … in the Windy City!
Founded in 1779 by French Haitian settler Jean-Baptiste-Point Du Sable, a zealous Catholic, Chicago grew to be one of America’s most historic Catholic cities. It offers a remarkable blend of architecture, immigrant heritage, and vibrant parish communities. Du Sable, known as the Father of Chicago, relied on his faith to build strategic alliances between the native American Indians and French traders.
Nearly 100 years later, the Great Chicago Fire devasted more than three square miles of the city but miraculously spared the city’s newly built St. Patrick’s church, which still stands today. Local Catholics attribute the miracle to their intercessory prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Discover Catholic Chicago’s soaring Holy Name cathedral, iconic churches, and bustling parochial neighborhoods and encounter the sacred spaces that have and continue to shape the city’s integrity.
