Chicago
Chicago's Catholic story: Marquette's winter Mass at the portage, the 1833 petition for a priest, parishes of a dozen nations, the Polish cathedrals, Mother Cabrini's shrine, two shrines of Saint Jude and the hometown of Pope Leo XIV
Catholic Chicago begins with a sick Jesuit, Jacques Marquette, who wintered at the portage in 1674 and said Mass there, and with a petition of 1833 in which the town's Catholics asked the bishop of Saint Louis for a priest before Chicago was even incorporated. After the Great Fire of 1871 the city rebuilt, and Holy Name Cathedral on North Wabash Avenue, dedicated in 1875, became the seat of the archdiocese. Then came the immigrants. Irish, German, Polish, Czech, Lithuanian, Italian, Ukrainian and Mexican Catholics each raised their own parish, often a few blocks apart, and the Polish churches on the Northwest Side, such as the Basilica of Saint Hyacinth and Saint Stanislaus Kostka, are so large that Chicagoans call them the Polish cathedrals. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini died here in 1917 and has a national shrine in Lincoln Park. The devotion to Saint Jude that spread across the country began on the South Side in 1929 at the Dominican shrine and the Claretian shrine. Saint Rita's shrine belongs to the Augustinians, the order of Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago and raised in Dolton. Mass is in English almost everywhere, and in Polish, Spanish, Ukrainian, Malayalam and other languages in many neighborhoods.
Fly over Chicago in 3DA tour of the parishes immigrants builtStart the tourTop sites
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The Saints of Chicago
Saint Frances Xavier CabriniOpened Columbus Hospital in Lincoln Park in 1905, became a United States citizen in 1909 and died there on December 22, 1917. Pius XII canonized her on July 7, 1946, the first United States citizen to be declared a saint. Her feast is November 13.
Saint Jude ThaddaeusThe apostle invoked in hopeless causes. Two Chicago shrines, the Dominican one in Pilsen and the Claretian one in South Chicago, date from 1929. His feast is October 28.
Saint Rita of CasciaThe Augustinians brought the devotion to Chicago in 1905, and the shrine chapel on Western Avenue keeps a monthly novena Mass and a feast on May 22.
Saint Maximilian KolbeThe Conventual Franciscan martyr of Auschwitz. His national shrine at Marytown in Libertyville keeps first class relics and a chapel open day and night. His feast is August 14.
Saint HyacinthThe Polish Dominican for whom the Avondale basilica is named. Its altar image shows him saving the Blessed Sacrament, and the parish gives his death as August 15, 1257.
Saint Stanislaus KostkaThe patron of the mother church of Polish Chicago, founded in 1867 and finished in 1881.
Saint Faustina KowalskaSaint Stanislaus Kostka is the archdiocesan Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy, a designation Cardinal George gave it in 2007. Her feast is October 5.
Pope Leo XIVBorn Robert Prevost at Mercy Hospital on September 14, 1955, raised in Dolton, an Augustinian who studied at Catholic Theological Union and taught at Saint Rita High School. He was elected on May 8, 2025.
Venerable Augustus ToltonOrdained in Rome in 1886 as the first publicly recognized Black priest in the United States, he founded Saint Monica's in Chicago in 1889 and died in July 1897. He was declared Venerable on June 12, 2019.
Father Jacques MarquetteThe Jesuit who wintered at the Chicago portage in 1674 and 1675 and said the first Mass recorded on the site of the city. He died on May 18, 1675.
Our Lady of GuadalupeThe great devotion of Mexican Chicago. Saint Stanislaus Kostka sings Las Mananitas at 5:00 a.m. on December 12, and the largest gathering of the region is at the shrine in Des Plaines.
Our Lady of SorrowsPatroness of the Servite basilica on West Jackson Boulevard. Her feast is September 15.
Saint Nicholas of MyraPatron of the Ukrainian cathedral in Ukrainian Village, which keeps his feast on December 6 by the Gregorian calendar.
Saint John CantiusThe Polish priest and professor whose name is borne by the Canons Regular's church on Carpenter Street, known for its relics and its liturgy. His feast is December 23.
Servant of God Dorothy DayShe became a Benedictine oblate of Saint Procopius Abbey in Lisle in 1955; her cause is promoted by the Archdiocese of New York.
Saint John Paul IIVisited Chicago as a cardinal in 1969 and 1976 and as pope from October 4 to 6, 1979, when he said Mass in Grant Park.
Beyond the churches
Views, walks and the town between the churches.
The Chicago Architecture Center river cruise
The 90 minute cruise aboard the First Lady leaves from the southeast corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge at 112 East Wacker Drive, and tickets start at $57. We checked the center's page on October 30, 2026: the early fall season runs to November 1 and the late fall season from November 2 to 22, 2026, with no 2027 dates posted yet. Tickets come through Ticketmaster or by phone at 312 922 3432, there are no refunds or exchanges, and tickets bought on StubHub are not valid. It is not a Catholic tour; we found no evidence that it discusses a church.
Itineraries
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1 day · 3 sitesA Half Day in Catholic ChicagoMass at the cathedral, then the Red Line north to Mother Cabrini and a Byzantine domed parish in Lincoln Park
1 day · 5 sitesOne Day in Catholic ChicagoThe Polish churches of West Town in the morning, the cathedral at noon and Mother Cabrini in the afternoon
2 days · 5 sitesCatholic Chicago with Children
2 days · 4 sitesCatholic Chicago with Limited Mobility- 2 days · 4 sitesSaint Jude, Saint Rita and the Shrines for Hard Causes
2 days · 9 sitesTwo Days in Catholic Chicago
3 days · 4 sitesChristmas in Catholic Chicago, 2026
3 days · 11 sitesThree Days in Catholic Chicago
4 days · 5 sitesHoly Week and Easter in Catholic Chicago, 2027
5 days · 15 sitesFive Days in Catholic Chicago
Day trips from Chicago
1 day · 3 sitesBellwood, Lombard and Lisle: a Syro-Malabar Cathedral, a Marian Shrine and a Benedictine Abbey
1 day · 3 sitesJoliet, Lemont and Darien: Saint Raymond Cathedral, Mother Dudzik and the Little Flower Shrine- 1 day · 2 sitesMarytown: the Kolbe Shrine in Libertyville, with the Relics of Morton Grove
1 day · 3 sitesMilwaukee: Saint Josaphat Basilica, Saint Joan of Arc Chapel and Saint John Cathedral
1 day · 3 sitesNorthwest Indiana: the Shrine of Christ's Passion, Munster's Carmelite Monastery and Gary Cathedral
1 day · 2 sitesNotre Dame: the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and Saint Matthew Cathedral
Collections
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7 sitesImmigrant and National Parishes of ChicagoSeven churches shaped by Ukrainian, Mexican, Czech, Indian, Irish and German newcomers
7 sitesRelics and Holy Places of ChicagoSeven places that keep relics of the saints, from catacombs to a collection of 3,200
6 sitesThe Saint Shrines of ChicagoSix shrines to Saints Jude, Rita, Cabrini, Kolbe and Thérèse, four of them national shrines
8 sitesThe Religious Orders and Their Houses Around ChicagoBenedictines, Jesuits, Servites, Dominicans, Augustinians, Carmelites and Franciscans around Chicago
7 sitesHidden Gems of Chicago: Places Most Pilgrims MissSeven places off the usual route, each with a clear reason to go
Featured Events
Good to know
The cathedral at 730 North Wabash Avenue is open Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Weekday Mass is at 7:00, 8:00 and noon, with a Wednesday 5:15 p.m. Mass; Sunday Masses are at 7:00, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., 12:30 and 5:15 p.m. Confession is Saturday 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. Checked on October 30, 2026 against the cathedral's site; tour details are unconfirmed.
Article · 6 minVisiting Holy Name Cathedral in ChicagoReadSome, from outside. He was born at Mercy Hospital on September 14, 1955, but its buildings were demolished in 1968 and parking lots stand there. His boyhood home in Dolton belongs to the village and is not open; look from the public street. His childhood church in Riverdale is closed and privately owned. Christ Our Savior in South Holland, which keeps its tabernacle, is open at Mass. No papal visit has been announced (checked October 30, 2026).
Article · 8 minPope Leo XIV in Chicago: Where He Was Born and RaisedReadWe found no official page that rates neighborhoods, so this is our judgment: the Loop and the Gold Coast are busy by day and empty after office hours, and the churches on the South and West Sides are best visited by day, for a Mass, by car or rideshare to the door rather than a long walk from the 'L'. Keep your bag in front of you as in any large city, and call 911 in an emergency.
Article · 6 minIs Chicago Safe for Visitors?ReadFrom O'Hare the Blue Line takes about 40 minutes to the Loop and costs $5, and it runs all day and night. From Midway the Orange Line takes about 25 minutes at $2.50 and has no overnight train. Airport pages give a taxi average of about $50 from O'Hare and $35 to $40 from Midway. Checked on October 30, 2026 against the CTA and airport pages.
Article · 5 minGetting From O'Hare and Midway to Downtown ChicagoReadThe 'L' costs $2.50 and a bus $2.25, paid with a Ventra card, the Ventra app or a contactless card, with two free transfers in two hours. CTA passes cost $5 for one day, $15 for three and $20 for seven. Metra one way is $3.75 within zones 1 and 2, $5.50 to zone 3 and $6.75 to zone 4. Millennium Station is not accessible for wheelchair users. Checked on October 30, 2026 against the CTA and Metra sites.
Article · 7 minGetting Around Chicago by CTA and MetraReadOur judgment: two full days cover the downtown cathedral, the Northwest Side Polish churches and Cabrini's shrine; a third day adds the South Side shrines of Saint Jude and Saint Rita and the monastery in Bridgeport. The suburban shrines and day trips to Milwaukee or Notre Dame each take a day more. Distances are large and the churches are spread out.
Article · 6 minHow Many Days Do You Need in Chicago?ReadBy the numbers May, September and October are the mildest: May averages a high of 70.5 F and a low of 50.6, September 75.5 and 57.1, and October 62.7 and 45.4. January averages 31.6 and 18.8 with 11.3 inches of snow. July is 84.5 and 66.4. Checked on October 30, 2026 against the National Weather Service normals for O'Hare; the ranking is our own judgment.
Article · 6 minThe Best Time to Visit ChicagoReadSaint Hyacinth has Polish Masses on Sunday at 6:00, 9:00 and 12:30. Saint Stanislaus Kostka has Spanish Masses on Sunday at noon and 5:30 p.m. and one in Polish at 8:30 a.m. Holy Trinity's Masses are all in Polish. Saint Mary of the Angels has a noon Spanish Mass. Saint Nicholas Cathedral celebrates the Divine Liturgy in Ukrainian and in English on Sundays. Checked on October 30, 2026 against each parish's site.
Article · 7 minMasses in Spanish, Polish and Other Languages in ChicagoReadSaint John Cantius, which is not in this guide's list of sites, has Masses in the 1962 form on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. (low), 11:00 a.m. (sung) and 12:30 p.m. (high), plus a daily low Mass at 6:30 a.m. Saint Odilo in Berwyn has a Latin Mass on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. The Shrine of Christ the King has had no public Masses since August 1, 2022. Checked on October 30, 2026 against each parish's site.
Article · 6 minThe Latin Mass in ChicagoReadThe Dominican shrine in Saint Pius V Church at 1901 South Ashland Avenue is open and staffed Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a Thursday novena Mass. The Claretian national shrine at Our Lady of Guadalupe on East 91st Street publishes no hours online, so call ahead. Both date from 1929, and the feast is October 28. Checked on October 30, 2026 against the shrines' sites.
Article · 6 minSaint Jude in Chicago: The Two ShrinesReadThe shrine at 2520 North Lakeview Avenue is closed Mondays and open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 to 4:00, Thursday 9:00 to 7:00, Saturday 9:00 to 5:00 and Sunday 9:00 to 1:00. Mass is Saturday at 4:00 p.m., Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday at 6:00 p.m. You can visit without a tour; groups call 773 360 5115. Checked on October 30, 2026 against the shrine's site.
Article · 6 minMother Cabrini in ChicagoReadThe Monastery of the Holy Cross in Bridgeport has three guest apartments, with a suggested free will offering of $75 for the first night for one person and $150 for a whole apartment; reserve with the guestmaster at 773 927 7424 extension 202. Saint Procopius Abbey in Lisle takes overnight guests who contact the guestmaster at least two weeks ahead. Checked on October 30, 2026 against each house's site.
Article · 6 minWhere to Stay in ChicagoReadYes, but each is a long day. Amtrak's Hiawatha reaches Milwaukee from Union Station in about 1 hour 29 minutes, and the basilica of Saint Josaphat is about 3.5 kilometers from the station. The South Shore Line runs from Millennium Station to South Bend Airport for $15.75 one way, and you then need a rideshare to the campus. Indiana is an hour ahead of Chicago. Checked on October 30, 2026; fares for the Hiawatha are unconfirmed.
Article · 7 minCatholic Day Trips From ChicagoReadIt is a local nickname for the very large Polish parish churches built from the 1870s to the 1920s, among them Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Holy Trinity, Saint Hyacinth and Saint Mary of the Angels, together with others such as Saint Hedwig. Several can be seen from the Kennedy Expressway. Polish Masses continue at some of them.
Article · 8 minThe Polish Cathedrals of ChicagoReadCatholic stays
Chicago has a few Catholic houses that take pilgrims. The Monastery of the Holy Cross at 3111 South Aberdeen Street in Bridgeport has three guest apartments, the Ascension Retreat House, the Garden House and the Saint Joseph Loft, each with a private entrance, air conditioning and free parking, for single retreatants, couples or families. We read its guesthouse page on October 30, 2026: the suggested free will offering is $75 for the first night and $50 for each additional night for one person, or $150 and $100 for a whole apartment; reserve with the guestmaster at 773 927 7424 extension 202. Saint Procopius Abbey in Lisle takes overnight guests only, asks you to contact the guestmaster at least two weeks ahead, sets no fee and locks its doors at 7:30 p.m. Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington offers silent personal retreat days for adults at $175 for one night, with limited dates; it is a retreat house and not a hotel. Confirm rates and availability with each house before you book.
Monastery of the Holy CrossThe only urban Benedictine monastery in the United States, praying the full Divine Office daily in a German Gothic Revival church in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood.- Saint Procopius AbbeyBenedictine monastery founded in 1885 to serve Czech Catholic immigrants, housing the oblation document of Servant of God Dorothy Day and featuring an abbey church regarded as a masterwork of post-Vatican II liturgical architecture.
Article · The full guide to every stay · 6 min readWhere to Stay in ChicagoFive areas compared by the churches within reach, the trains, and the Catholic guesthouses and retreat houses that take the publicRead the guideArticles
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Catholic Chicago by Neighborhood7 min read- Catholic Day Trips From Chicago7 min read
Feasts and seasonsCatholic Processions and Street Feasts in Chicago6 min read
PlanningChicago With Children or Limited Mobility6 min read
Feasts and seasonsChristmas in Chicago: Midnight Mass and the Christkindlmarket6 min read
Mass and sacramentsEucharistic Adoration and Open Churches in Chicago6 min read- Getting aroundGetting Around Chicago by CTA and Metra7 min read
- Getting aroundGetting From O'Hare and Midway to Downtown Chicago5 min read
Feasts and seasonsHoly Week and Easter in Chicago6 min read- PlanningHow Many Days Do You Need in Chicago?6 min read
- Is Chicago Safe for Visitors?6 min read
Mass and sacramentsMass Times and Confession in Downtown Chicago6 min read- Mass and sacramentsMasses in Spanish, Polish and Other Languages in Chicago7 min read
Milwaukee Catholic Churches From Chicago6 min read- Visiting sitesMother Cabrini in Chicago6 min read
Notre Dame and the Grotto From Chicago6 min read
Visiting sitesOld Saint Patrick's, Holy Family and the Great Fire of 18717 min read- Feasts and seasonsOur Lady of Guadalupe in Chicago and Des Plaines6 min read
- Pope Leo XIV in Chicago: Where He Was Born and Raised8 min read
Visiting sitesRelics and Catacombs in Chicago8 min read
Mass and sacramentsSacred Music in Chicago Churches6 min read- Saint Jude in Chicago: The Two Shrines6 min read
Feasts and seasonsSaint Patrick's Day in Chicago5 min read- PlanningThe Best Time to Visit Chicago6 min read
- Mass and sacramentsThe Latin Mass in Chicago6 min read
- The Polish Cathedrals of Chicago8 min read
- The Shrine of Saint Rita and the Augustinians in Chicago5 min read
The Suburban Shrines: Marytown, Darien and Mundelein7 min read
Visiting sitesUkrainian Village and the Eastern Catholic Churches of Chicago7 min read
Visiting sitesVenerable Augustus Tolton in Chicago6 min read- Visiting Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago6 min read
Mass and sacramentsWhat to Wear and How to Behave in Chicago Churches6 min read- StayingWhere to Stay in Chicago6 min read
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