CHICAGO – Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago’s West Town celebrated its 125th anniversary on the weekend of June 10-11. The celebration also marks the 125th anniversary of Orthodox Christianity in Chicago.
The celebration began on Saturday with a tour of the historic cathedral, located at 1121 N. Leavitt St., followed by a vigil. A Hierarchical Divine Liturgy took place on Sunday morning, presided over by His Grace, Bishop Paul. A banquet at The Carlisle in Lombard concluded the anniversary celebrations for the weekend.
“This is a momentous occasion, worthy of giving thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for the blessings He has bestowed on us, we well as strengthening us for the challenges we face in the 21st Century,” the Holy Trinity organizers noted on the cathedral website.
Originally established in 1892 as St. Vladimir’s Church, it is believed to be the first Orthodox Christian parish in Chicago. Services were first held in a house on Noble Street and then in another home on Armitage Avenue.
“The father of modern American Architecture” Louis H. Sullivan designed the present cathedral building, which was constructed in 1903 after a $4,000 donation from Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. According to the cathedral’s website, a model of the Orthodox chapel was exhibited at the Columbian Exposition in 1893, and had attracted donors from among the many wealthy Chicagoans who saw it, which allowed the parish to begin its search for an architect. Sullivan was inspired by a church in the village of Tatarskaya in Siberia, and designed the cathedral in the style of traditional country churches in Russia.
The interior includes paintings by Russian artist V.N. Vasnetoff. Its main piece, the iconostasis, the screen decorated with icons, was imported from Russia and donated in 1912. Sullivan hoped that the cathedral would be one of “the most unique and poetic buildings in the country,” as reported by DNA.info.
Holy Trinity Church was consecrated in 1903 by St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Apostle to America, who was then Bishop of the North American mission of the Russian Orthodox Church. When he returned to Russia, he was elected as patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Russia and later died as a confessor to Christ. Designated a cathedral in 1922, Holy Trinity was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and designated an official City of Chicago Landmark in 1979.
Holy Trinity helped inspire other Orthodox churches in the Midwest and now serves as a center of religious life for the Orthodox faithful as the See Cathedral of the Diocese of the Midwest of the Orthodox Church in America.
“We, the parish family of Holy Trinity, feel blessed to have been given a house of worship of such spiritual and architectural importance. Being aware of a structure so magnificently designed, but most importantly, a temple where saints have walked and are among that great cloud of witnesses, we live in constant awe and gratitude for this gift. We realize however, that it is not ours to keep to ourselves, but as good stewards, to maintain and preserve it for those who are yet to follow. We must accept this responsibility and commit ourselves not only to the proper restoration of this House of God, but also to constant examination of how those in our cathedral parish and also those in the community are served and edified,” as noted on the Holy Trinity website.
An extensive renovation project is currently underway with phase 1’s restoration of the cathedral’s cupolas already completed. The bell tower, stained glass, metal gutter and cornice, and the stucco projects are yet to be completed. More information is available online at the Holy Trinity’s website.
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