St. Nicholas Cathedral (Chicago) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Nicholas Cathedral |
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 Location in Central Chicago
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| 41°53′49.2″N 87°41′1.94″W / 41.897000°N 87.6838722°W | |
| Location | 835 N. Oakley Blvd. Chicago, Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Worthmann & Steinbach |
| Style | Byzantine Revival |
| Completed | 1915 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,200 |
| Length | 155 feet (47 m) |
| Width | 55 feet (17 m) |
| Number of domes | 13 |
| Dome height (outer) | 112 feet (34 m) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Eparchy of St. Nicholas of Chicago |
St. Nicholas Cathedral is a beautiful church in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. This special church is called a cathedral because it's the main church for the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago. An "eparchy" is like a church district led by a bishop.
Contents
History of St. Nicholas Cathedral
Early Beginnings and Growth
In the late 1890s, many immigrants from western and Carpathian Ukraine started arriving in Chicago. A small group of Ukrainian workers began planning for a new church in 1905. This led to the official start of St. Nicholas Parish on January 28, 1906.
By then, they had saved enough money to buy their first church building. It was located at Bishop and Superior streets and was bought from a Danish Protestant group. In 1913, the church bought land at Oakley Boulevard and Rice Street. The current church building was finished there in 1915. Later, in 1925, land was bought for a cemetery on Higgins Road.
Expanding the Church and School
The parish school for children was built in 1936. After World War II, even more immigrants moved into the neighborhood. This caused the church community to grow a lot. Because of this growth, the school was made bigger in 1954.
On July 14, 1961, the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago was officially created. At that time, St. Nicholas Church became a cathedral, which means it became the main church for the eparchy. From 1974 to 1977, the inside of the cathedral was updated. An artist named Boris Makarenko worked on the new designs. Today, church services, called the Divine Liturgy, are held in both Ukrainian and English.
Architecture and Design
Building Style and Features
The church was designed by a Chicago architecture company called Worthmann & Steinbach. They based their design on the famous Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine. You can even see a picture of St. Sophia's Cathedral in a painting above the main altar inside.
The outside of St. Nicholas Cathedral has thirteen domes. These domes are special because they represent Jesus Christ and his Twelve Apostles. Above the main entrance, there is a beautiful mosaic of Our Lady of Pochaiv. Above that, you'll find an icon of the church's patron saint, St. Nicholas.
Inside the Cathedral
The inside of the church is filled with amazing art. There are many icons, which are religious images, made as both mosaics and frescos (paintings on wet plaster). These icons are designed in a similar style to those found in St. Sophia in Kyiv. They show scenes from the life of Christ, his Mother Mary, and many saints.
One special icon was not changed during the renovation from 1974 to 1977. It shows Christ with his apostles and his Mother at the back of the sanctuary. This icon is very old, dating all the way back to 1928. A huge chandelier hangs from the main dome. It was made in Greece and is gold-colored. It has nine levels and is lit by 480 lights! Images of the 12 apostles are around the outside of the chandelier. Many people believe it is the largest chandelier of its kind in the United States. The beautiful stained glass windows in the church were created by the Munich Studio of Chicago.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Nicolás (Chicago) para niños
