St. Adalbert

This historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. The 1874 church is located on 17th Street between Paulina Street and Ashland Ave in the Pilsen area of Chicago. St. Adalbert has served generations of Polish immigrants and their American-born children; at its peak, parish membership numbered 4,000 families with more than 2,000 children enrolled in the school. Today the church is home for the Mexican immigrants who live in Pilsen.

Architect Henry J. Schlacks designed St. Adalbert Church and the adjoining rectory at 1650 W. 17th Street. The Italian Renaissance church with its twin 85-foot Renaissance-style towers and copper domes was modeled after St. Paul's Basilica in Rome. It was completed at an estimated cost of $200,000. The interior includes some of the most magnificent marble work to be found in any church in Chicago.