ABOUT St James Commons
St. James Commons embraces the Cathedral Church, the Church Center, the Plaza. They have all become venues for the openness this Cathedral congregation seeks as we strive to be the Soul of the Neighborhood, the Mother Church for a Diocese, the Seat of the Bishop.
We seek to be a welcoming presence to worshippers, to the clergy and people of the Diocese who seek the resources of the Bishop's office, to our neighbors and to strangers who come among us.
Our programs like Summer in the City, the St. James Cafe, the Cathedral Open House, Rush Hour concerts and our own Concert Series raise awareness of Episcopal presence in the city, as do weekday and Sunday feeding ministries. The hospitality of the Cafe environment offers a more engaging entry into our buildings. Programming on the Plaza invites new connectedness to the City.
BRIEF BUILDING HISTORY
In 1857 Edward Burling designed the original building and had it built using the famed Joliet limestone. Shortly after it was remodeled and rededicated in 1871, the church burned to the ground in the Great Chicago Fire; in this neighborhood, only St James’ bell tower and the nearby Water Tower and Pump House survived the fire. The existing bell tower and Civil War Memorial were original to the 1857 structure. The architectural team of Clarke and Faulkner were hired to rebuild the church which stands to today. The first services in the new sanctuary took place on October 9, 1875. Its finely painted windows depict biblical themes and are rich with symbols of our faith tradition. The original stenciling, considered “the best example of Victorian stencil work in the world”, was the work of E.J. Neville Stent, a New York artist which was completed in 1889 and restored in 1985.
