|
A Parish is formed and
grows in a new city
(1843-1871)
The history of Holy Name Cathedral Parish is as much the story of Catholic
immigrants and their new city, Chicago, as it is the story of bishops and seminaries. The
Chicago Fire, the Chicago Subway, and most importantly, the dynamic changes within the
city’s population and the Church itself, all left their mark on the Holy Name
community.
| Sept. 30, 1843 |
Diocese of Chicago, including all of Illinois, is created by
the Vatican. Bishop William Quarter and his brother, Rev. Walter Quarter, are assigned to
the diocese, headquartered at St. Mary’s. |
| Oct. 5, 1845 |
Cathedral of St. Mary is consecrated by Bishop Quarter. St.
Mary’s, at the southwest corner of Madison and Wabash, remained Chicago’s
official Cathedral until after the Chicago Fire. |
| 1846 |
Chapel of Holy Name established at University of St. Mary of
the Lake. Rev. Jeremiah Kinsella, first pastor. |
| Nov. 18, 1849 |
A freestanding Chapel of the Holy Name is dedicated on the
southwest corner of the university grounds. |
| 1851 |
An immense brick church is built on State Street between
Huron and Superior, just south of the present Cathedral. The cornerstone of the Church of
the Holy Name was set in 1852. Steeple: 245 feet high. Cost: $100,000. |
| Dec. 25, 1854 |
Pastor Patrick J. McLaughlin celebrates the first Mass in the
new Church; because of its size, this structure functions as the Chicago Diocese’s
cathedral until it is destroyed in the Chicago Fire. |
| 1861 |
Ten members of the Daughters of Charity of St.
Vincent DePaul move into Holy Name Parish, first as teachers in the parish schools,
eventually establishing a "foundlings’ home." St. Vincent’s Asylum is
opened in 1881 at the southeast corner of LaSalle and Superior streets. Today, the former
orphanage, a few blocks west of the Cathedral, houses offices for many of the services
supported by Catholic Charities of Chicago, as well as the St. Vincent DePaul Center. |
|
