Church of The Holy Family
Church of the Holy Family was once the largest English-speaking parish in the U.S with 25,000 parishioners. At one time its boundaries extended from the south branch of the Chicago River west to Austin Boulevard—a distance of nearly seven miles.
“It’s estimated that since 1857 when the parish opened more than 56,000 persons were baptized here and generations of couples exchanged their wedding vows in this church,” Father Gabriel, pastor at Church of the Holy Family, said.
Church of the Holy Family is the city’s only example of pre-Civil War Victorian architecture. It is one of only five public buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The church embodies the cultural heritage and ethnic diversity of the City of Chicago.
About Church of The Holy Family
Dates Active: 1857 – Present
Congregation: Society of Jesus
Denomination:
Architect(s): Dillenburg and Zucker; Interior: John van Osdel
Photography: Christopher Allison and Natalie Sinclair (2024).
For archival images and further research: Church of The Holy Family
Click below to see our in-progress interactive historical tour of Holy Family.
View some still images of the space below.
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