MUSEUM-1B

John Paul II in Chicago, October 4, 1979.

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin.

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin with Yasser Arafat. March 28, 1995.

Click on image below to enlarge.

The gift from Yasser Arafat-
A crèche handmade in mother-of-pearl.

Second Vatican Council opens; Cardinal Meyer plays leading role in writing the Decree on Religious Liberty Vatican, 1959.

Second Vatican Council. Vatican, 1959.

Cardinal Meyer makes a rare joint appearance with Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley at a television panel session.

Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish leaders confer in the First National Conference on Religion and Race. 1958.

Cardinal Cody with African-American schoolchildren.

"...for among of the churches of this great city, they have added one of the most beautiful. It will stand here as a monument of the zeal, the deep faith and the generous of self-sacrifice of the children of the Polish race in this city..." -George W. Mundelein.

Church St. Mary of the Angels, inspired by Fr. Francis Gordon, C..R., and designed by Worthmann & Steinbach, epitomizes the Polish Renaissance style.

"Built over an eight-and-a-half year period around World War I and costing over $400,000, St. Mary's in the Buckton neighborhood may not be the most beautiful church in Chicago but it is the most audacious. Sadly, it deteriorated over the years and was closed for time and threatened with demolition; but heroic fundraising efforts by its past and present parishioners allowed it to reopen in 1992."
-Edward R. Kantowicz.

"Help! Save St. Mary's Church."

hen Pope John XXIII announced the convocation of the Second Vatican Council in 1959, he inaugurated an era of reform. Chicago Catholics re-doubled their efforts to reach out to other races, religious, and experimented with new ministry and liturgy, and spoke out on issues of peace and justice. Catholics also experienced considerable confusion, as old benefits and customs changed. During the last two decades the Archdiocese faced a period of consolidation which sometimes resulted in painful church and school closings. As Joseph Cardinal Bernardin wrote shortly before his death in 1996, this period has been "the best of times and the worst of times".

DATE	EVENT
1959	Pope John XXIII convokes the Second Vatican Council.
1961	Second Vatican Council opens; Cardinal Meyer plays leading role in writing the Decree on Religious Liberty.
1963	Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish leaders confer in the First Conference on Religion and Race.
1966	Martin Luther King, Jr. leads anti-segregation rallies with strong Catholic participation.
1972	Married diaconate established.
1979	Pope John Paul II visits Chicago.
1982	Joseph Bernardin becomes Archbishop.
1982	Numerous churches and schools are closed or consolidated with neighboring parishes.
1993	World Parliament of Religious meets in Chicago with full Catholic participation.
1996	Cardinal Bernardin dies.

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