I didn't go inside but from the outside it's magnificent. A cool architectural marvel really. And…read morethere's a statue of St Michael stepping on the devil's head LOL! The church needs more funny art like this

Beautiful old church, well attended masses with good music and an outstanding organ. Local…read morelandmark, pleasant location to sit in front of for a picnic lunch or to sip a cup of coffee.

[CLOSED] This church switched locations in 2021. Please take a look at the new location here:…read more 218 S Wabash, 2nd Floor Chicago, IL 60604 10:30am Sunday Service - also see their website for newest location.

-Visited for the first time. -Staff was very friendly and…read moreengaged my wife and I in conversation right away. Made an intention to introduce us to other members. -Teaching/preaching is scripture based where a book of the Bible is chosen and expounded on. Only one worship service to compare but the message was strong/on point not "watered down." -Validated parking is available one block away -Would visit again!

I came here for their monthly free concert for the first time and was impressed with the beauty and…read morecraftsmenship that filled this space! The Concert: Every second Saturday of the month there is a free concert located here in St. James Chapel which is on the second floor of the Archbishop Quigley Center. The concerts ususally commence at 2:00 pm and are open to the public and they are FREE! The concert yesterday was Kaia a quartet of women playing string instruments. Apparently they performed here last year as well. The music was perfect for the setting as it was classically based including a rendition of "The Four Seasons" and some Argentinean influenced music. After the hour long concert individuals could purchase Kaia's music on a CD or as I did on CD Baby online... I love Kaia's classic Tango Music especially their redition of "La Cumparsita!" Listen to their clip of this by scrolling down their website below. See: http://www.kaiastringquartet.com Concert Schedule and Tour Information: https://www.windows.org The Space: St. James Chapel is truly an amazing space with its "40-foot-high stained glass windows, created by Robert Giles of the John Kinsella Company, (the windows) have been called 'the crown jewels' of Chicago's architectural treasures. Each window contains 20,000 to 45,000 pieces of antique English stained glass that together illustrate the Old Testament, the New Testament and church history." Source: https://openhousechicago.org/sites/site/st-james-chapel-at-archbishop-quigley-center/ There are also free tours with a docent on Saturdays from 9:00-11:00 am -I want to return to hear more about the history and art. FYI-The concert was packed...which was nice that so many people enjoyed this offering!

The seminary that was here when the Cardinal was a boy is gone. But this lovely Gothic style stone…read morechapel remains and it's beautiful stained glass windows are now restored. Lots of folks have had their weddings here and special events of the Chicago Archdiocese are often held here. It is also a favorite venue for concerts of classical music, most recently those organized by Ars Antigua, a local period instrument ensemble. While it is a lovely and meditative place to visit or to attend an event or concert at, there are numerous acoustical challenges in this reverberant space. Words spoken from the altar area are not easily heard distinctly. If you are not seated towards the front, music performed here can be riddled by its own echos. Also, due to its location so close to the hub-bub of Michigan Avenue and the Water Tower, there can sometimes be intrusive noise from the traffic below. But if you have the chance to be there, don't miss it!

Love the in-person preaching. It's not in-person every Sunday, but more and more often it is. Love…read morethe singing and praise time before and after the service. The leadership appear to be trying hard to increase the frequency and intentionality of the communication as well as community engagement and opportunities for others to get involved. I have observed a youthfulness in the congregation and although a transient group (related to university and college attendees), there is also a contributing membership made up of young professionals and seasoned city dwellers. Handicapped will struggle to get up the stairs to the main worship area as there is not an elevator or lift. There are often people who can assist. They are welcoming to all. We found this church within walking distance of our apartment soon after moving downtown. It is fundamentally solid with contemporary praise and worship.

Gotta get that AC fixed asap!…read more The natural acoustic sounds amazing!

I got married at this church in December 2005, and I have nothing but good things to say about it…read more Where do I start? Aesthetic: It is a beautiful church -- lovely stained glass, and a white marble (or alabaster?) altar, a beautiful painted dome that you can see from afar, and the interior is shaped like a circle -- which I found novel and I'm sure there's a great story there that I don't know about. Congregation: They have a very friendly and pretty diverse congregation, drawing from the neighboring communities and the students from UIC. They have celebrations for certain Filipino traditions and Our Lady of Guadalupe. I don't recall the sermons ever being so conservative that they grated on us or even stood out as being a turn-off, and for me and my progressive husband, that's saying a lot. The current pastors are very warm and engaging (Fr. Pat and Fr. Jose). Our Fabulous Wedding Experience: The pastor there in 2005 was Fr. Paul Reicher -- he was awesome. First, he didn't freak when I told him my husband wasn't a baptized Catholic (he was raised Episcopalian). Secondly, he seemed genuinely interested in making sure we were happy together and marrying for the right reasons, rather than getting bogged down by the do's and don't's of Catholicism. Third, we didn't have to be parish members for years or pay an arm an a leg to be married at this beautiful place (Unlike some other churches, where there's a huge dog & pony show involved in getting married there). While we still did some pre-Cana marriage prep things (a compatibility test and a day long reflection retreat), we weren't asked to jump through hoop after hoop just to prove how Catholic we were. We wanted to be married at that church, and as long as we were committed to each other and the basic tenets of Catholicism, that seemed to be enough. Then, our wedding ceremony was fabulous! Many of our urban, artistic and rebellious crew noted that they liked it -- warm, insightful and none of this "wives, be subordinate to your husbands" stuff. We moved far from the area about two years ago, but I still miss Notre Dame. The warmth, the laid back attitude, the inclusiveness. It's truly a gem.

I'm sure this is a great place of worship, but I live across from this church and have to hear the…read morechurch bells obnoxiously ringing almost every day. Sometimes the neighboring churches choose to team up and all ring their bells simultaneously- and listen, if this were to happen for a short amount of time I wouldn't mind. However, it goes on for 10+ minutes! multiple times a day! it's especially irritating in the morning when I'm suddenly awakened by the extremely loud sound. I have absolutely no issue with the religious aspect of this ceremonial procedure as my father is a pastor- but being someone who's a light sleeper, it is impossible for me to rest and my landlord had never informed me that there was a church nearby when we first moved in. If I knew this information earlier, I wouldn't have moved in & signed my lease. I just don't want to keep waking up in a panic every few days because of the loud noise, this has caused a great deal of anxiety in my student life as well. Not being able to sleep negatively affects the rest of my day and my schoolwork.

I was referred here by a friend who used to be a member before moving out of state. Initially I was…read moregrateful at seeing the diversity of the congregants. I like also that there were a number of young families around who would come to mass. I think that the school is growing and doing very well. But after a few months I realized that the community is kind of....blah. People aren't that welcoming, the masses can be really dry, and the homilies can be long and hard to follow. I was willing to give the church another chance when a new pastor was appointed but honestly it was nothing new. Just another priest who loves to hear himself speak. I'm not in a great place with my faith and finding it difficult to fit into parishes that don't engage me where I am. And so many church leaders just aren't open to feedback on how things could be better, and I don't see a natural way to give that feedback. Wish I could recommend as I dont know that there are a lot of other "liberal" type parishes in the city. But after enough bad experiences I don't recommend Old St Mary's/OSM.

I was hesitant after reading reviews to attend mass at this church but now that I have, I must…read moreprovide a rebuttal to some of the previous reviewer comments. First, the church is very welcoming. I went to 4pm Sunday mass and Father Rich stood outside the door, greeted me and opened the door for me to enter. People were friendly, saying hi to each other before mass during greeting time as well as during the sign of peace. There was plenty of seating and inside the church was simple and elegant. Father Rich spoke with passion and such kindness. This was one of the best masses I have attended in a long time. If I lived here I would be a happy parishioner for certain!

Beautiful church. Really want to come home to the Episcopal Church, maybe this parish is it. Great…read morechoir and welcoming congregation and Priests. Haven't been to the other services but the 11am Solemn Mass is great.

This church is arguably one of the most high church experiences within the Anglican Communion…read more Imagine this: You walk into what feels like an ancient building. Beautiful stain glass windows, a rood screen separating altar and people, a communion rail, and a high altar. All around you are the smells and feelings of a medieval church. There is a shrine to the Virgin Mother, and to Saint Michael. The music sung here sounds like music from a bygone age calling you back to a sacred path to God. The smell of incense, the ringing of bells, and sacred choir music all transport you back. If this calls to you, you need to come here. This church has a beautifully traditional liturgy, if you are originally a Roman Catholic, imagine a pre-Vatican II mass but in English instead of Latin. This church is great for Roman Catholics who have a hard time accepting church doctrine but want somewhere with a traditional mass. This church even boast having an east facing high altar that the priest faces during the mass. If you are very low church and prefer to not have a lot of ritual, this won't be the place for you. However if you are the kind of person who relies heavily on ancient tradition and ritual to experience the divine, then come. This church is LGBT friendly, and very progressive when it comes to social issues (It is episcopal after all) but is very traditional when it comes to liturgy.

What a lovely little church! Beautiful liturgy, thought provoking sermons, and a wonderful,…read morefriendly community. I'm so glad we found St. Peter's!!!

Newly renovated, this church has recently resumed Sunday services. The renovation was thoughtfully…read moredone and maintained the integrity of the historic 130 year old church. Services have seen several dozen participants, with enthusiastic organ music. Open House scheduled for November 7 - come and see!