"A Medieval jewel in a modern setting..."(George Cardinal Mundelein at the dedication of St. Gregory the Great Church)
Saint Gregory the Great Church has served the north side of Chicago since 1904, when the Luxembourgers of the neighborhood petitioned for the creation of a new parish. Education is at the heart of St. Greg’s— from the magnificent Norman Gothic church that teaches the faith through its stunning altars, windows and very design, to the countless graduates of its elementary and high school.
Officially classified as a church in the Norman Gothic style (Norman referring to the French influence on English architecture following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066), St. Gregory's is a direct descendant of the great flowering of churches in the Medieval style that began in the early 19th Century. The movement, called Gothic Revival, began in England as a spiritual/cultural revolt against the Industrial Revolution and embraced not only architecture but art, poetry, literature and music as well. Its proponents included the author Sir Walter Scott, artist and critic John Ruskin, the designer William Morris and the architect A.W.N. Pugin. It was Pugin who truly reinvigorated the nation with the spiritual and the artistic aesthetic of the Middle Ages, and his churches and public buildings (including the Houses of Parliament) stand as some of the finest architecture of the 19th Century.
St. Gregory the Great Church is one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the Archdiocese of Chicago, and as such acts as a complete spatial instruction in the truths of the Christian faith. Everything, from the paintings and sculptures to the architecture elements itself, not only tells a story but invites deeper into the heart of the mystery that is Christ's Church. The journey into St. Gregory's Church is a journey into life, death and re-birth, from Alpha to Omega, from darkness to light.
Msgr. Michael Klasen, the founding pastor of St. Gregory the Great Church, created a booklet entitled The Church Beautiful in which he explains the symbolism and meaning of the various shrines, stained glass windows, and other liturgical decorations that can be found in our Church. Click on the following link to learn more about our Church Beautiful.
The Church Beautiful
Saint Gregory the Great Church has served the north side of Chicago since 1904, when the Luxembourgers of the neighborhood petitioned for the creation of a new parish. Education is at the heart of St. Greg’s— from the magnificent Norman Gothic church that teaches the faith through its stunning altars, windows and very design, to the countless graduates of its elementary and high school.
Officially classified as a church in the Norman Gothic style (Norman referring to the French influence on English architecture following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066), St. Gregory's is a direct descendant of the great flowering of churches in the Medieval style that began in the early 19th Century. The movement, called Gothic Revival, began in England as a spiritual/cultural revolt against the Industrial Revolution and embraced not only architecture but art, poetry, literature and music as well. Its proponents included the author Sir Walter Scott, artist and critic John Ruskin, the designer William Morris and the architect A.W.N. Pugin. It was Pugin who truly reinvigorated the nation with the spiritual and the artistic aesthetic of the Middle Ages, and his churches and public buildings (including the Houses of Parliament) stand as some of the finest architecture of the 19th Century.
St. Gregory the Great Church is one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the Archdiocese of Chicago, and as such acts as a complete spatial instruction in the truths of the Christian faith. Everything, from the paintings and sculptures to the architecture elements itself, not only tells a story but invites deeper into the heart of the mystery that is Christ's Church. The journey into St. Gregory's Church is a journey into life, death and re-birth, from Alpha to Omega, from darkness to light.
Msgr. Michael Klasen, the founding pastor of St. Gregory the Great Church, created a booklet entitled The Church Beautiful in which he explains the symbolism and meaning of the various shrines, stained glass windows, and other liturgical decorations that can be found in our Church. Click on the following link to learn more about our Church Beautiful.
The Church Beautiful
Patron
St. Gregory the Great was born around the year 540 A.D. in Italy, “into a world in which peace and stability could not be taken for granted.” (R.A. Markus, Gregory the Great and His World) He was named the Prefect of Rome in either his late 20s or early 30s, but resigned the office and entered monastic life around the year 575, converting his family home into a monastery dedicated to St. Andrew.
Despite becoming a monk, Gregory soon afterwards was ordained a deacon and then sent to Constantinople as the representative of Pope Pelagius II in 579. He was recalled to Rome around 585 or 586 and returned to his monastery. In 590, he was elected Pope, succeeding Pelagius II.
Over the course of his papacy, Gregory worked to keep Rome secure against the Lombard tribes that had invaded Italy, buying temporary truces with them, negotiating treaties and ransoming prisoners, and providing for the poor amid famines and plagues. He also wrote Pastoral Care in 590, a treatise on the responsibilities of bishops that has remained influential in the centuries since its publication. In this work, Gregory calls on bishops to maintain a life of prayer while diligently attending to the needs of those entrusted to their care.
In 597, he launched a mission for the conversion of England, sending a mission of 40 monks, including some from his own monastery. When Catholicism eventually took root in England, the church there would regard Gregory as a founding father. His favorite title for the papacy was “servant of the servants of God.”
St. Gregory the Great is a Doctor of the Church, one of the four Great Latin Fathers. The others are St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Jerome, and all four are featured on the high altar of St. Gregory church (pictured above). Pope St. Gregory the Great is the figure located at the far right.
Sources:
Eamon Duffy, Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes
R.A. Markus, Gregory the Great and His World
Despite becoming a monk, Gregory soon afterwards was ordained a deacon and then sent to Constantinople as the representative of Pope Pelagius II in 579. He was recalled to Rome around 585 or 586 and returned to his monastery. In 590, he was elected Pope, succeeding Pelagius II.
Over the course of his papacy, Gregory worked to keep Rome secure against the Lombard tribes that had invaded Italy, buying temporary truces with them, negotiating treaties and ransoming prisoners, and providing for the poor amid famines and plagues. He also wrote Pastoral Care in 590, a treatise on the responsibilities of bishops that has remained influential in the centuries since its publication. In this work, Gregory calls on bishops to maintain a life of prayer while diligently attending to the needs of those entrusted to their care.
In 597, he launched a mission for the conversion of England, sending a mission of 40 monks, including some from his own monastery. When Catholicism eventually took root in England, the church there would regard Gregory as a founding father. His favorite title for the papacy was “servant of the servants of God.”
St. Gregory the Great is a Doctor of the Church, one of the four Great Latin Fathers. The others are St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Jerome, and all four are featured on the high altar of St. Gregory church (pictured above). Pope St. Gregory the Great is the figure located at the far right.
Sources:
Eamon Duffy, Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes
R.A. Markus, Gregory the Great and His World