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Upcoming events
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⛪✨ Heaven in Brick & Gold: Inside St. Barbara Catholic Church 🕯️🏛️
St. Barbara's, 2859 S Throop, Chicago, IL, US⛪✨ Heaven in Brick & Gold: Inside St. Barbara Catholic Church 🕯️🏛️
🌿 A Polish Cathedral Masterpiece: An Inspiring Morning Inside One of Chicago’s Grandest Historic Churches ✨
Join us for a special guided visit to St. Barbara Roman Catholic Church, a spectacular and deeply historic Catholic landmark on Chicago’s South Side. Known for its monumental scale, ornate interior, and strong ties to the city’s Polish immigrant community, St. Barbara offers an unforgettable look at faith, artistry, and neighborhood history.
This is a stationary guided church visit — no walking tour — allowing us to slow down and truly appreciate the church’s architecture, artwork, symbolism, and history in a peaceful and reflective setting.
Expect soaring ceilings, dramatic altars, rich stained glass, devotional shrines, and stories that connect Catholic tradition with Chicago’s industrial and immigrant past. ✨
***
🕰️ Schedule, Meeting Info & Cost
📅 Saturday, February 14, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 St. Barbara Roman Catholic Church 2859 S. Throop St., Chicago
⏱️ Visit length: ~90 minutes
💰 $15 per person
💵 Cash strongly preferred (Zelle / Venmo / PayPal accepted as I submit one group donation)⚠️ All attendees must check in with me at the start and submit payment directly to me so I can provide one group donation to the church.
📸 Photography is allowed — please be respectful of the sacred space and follow any guidance from our hosts.
🎤 Private guided experience arranged for our group.
***
🌟 What We’ll Experience
⛪ A breathtaking historic sanctuary
🎨 Elaborate religious art, murals, and stained glass
🕯️ Side altars, candles, and devotional elements
📜 The story of the parish and Chicago’s Polish Catholic community
🏛️ Architectural details of the Polish Cathedral–style tradition
This visit takes place entirely inside the church and immediate grounds.***
📖 About St. Barbara Roman Catholic Church
Founded in 1910, St. Barbara Parish was established to serve Polish immigrants who settled near Chicago’s booming industrial corridor of rail yards, factories, and stockyards. Named for St. Barbara, patron saint of miners and workers in dangerous trades, the parish became a spiritual refuge for laboring families seeking faith, stability, and community.The current church building, completed in the 1910s, is a stunning example of the Polish Cathedral style — a uniquely American expression of Catholic architecture characterized by monumental scale, classical influences, lavish ornamentation, and an emphasis on beauty as an act of devotion.
Inside, the church is richly adorned with:
- Grand altars
- Painted ceilings and murals
- Sculptural details
- Stained glass honoring saints, sacraments, and Polish religious heritage
Every element was designed to inspire awe, reinforce Catholic teaching, and reflect the pride and sacrifice of the immigrant community that built it.
For generations, St. Barbara served as a cultural, spiritual, and social anchor — hosting baptisms, weddings, funerals, festivals, and daily worship that shaped neighborhood life. As demographics evolved, the parish continued to adapt while preserving its extraordinary artistic and architectural legacy.
Today, St. Barbara remains an active parish and a treasured landmark — one of Chicago’s most impressive examples of early 20th-century Catholic church design.
***
🍽️ Optional Coffee or Lunch After the Visit
Those interested are welcome to join me afterward for coffee or lunch at a nearby neighborhood spot.
🍽️ Options will be shared closer to the date.
⚠️ Please bring cash — some venues may not split checks.***
👟 What to Bring
• Camera
• Respectful attire
• $15 tour fee (exact change appreciated)***
🚇 Getting There
Public transportation is easy and encouraged.
Use Google Maps or CTA Trip Planner:
https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/***
🚗 Parking
• Street parking available nearby (check posted signs)
• Metered parking on nearby main streets
• Residential side streets often available
• Area can be busy — arriving early is recommended
• SpotHero or ParkWhiz may be helpful***
📝 RSVP & No-Show Policy
✔️ Please keep your RSVP updated
✔️ Cancel promptly if plans change
❌ Repeated no-shows may affect future event participation***
✨⛪ Join us for a meaningful Valentine’s weekend experience exploring Catholic faith, immigrant history, and sacred art — all inside one of Chicago’s most awe-inspiring neighborhood churches. ✨
4 attendees
🎟️ 🎶Theater Week Stop 3: $30 tix-Trial in the Delta: Murder of Emmett Till🎭
Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball, Chicago, IL, US🎟️ 🎶Theater Week Stop 3: $30 tix-Trial in the Delta: Murder of Emmett Till🎭
Chicago Theater Week 2026 Play #3 - $30 Tix- Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till @Kimball Arts Center
Chicago Theater Week Play #3
🎶 Trial in the Delta: the Murder of Emmett Till
📅 Saturday Feb 14, 2025
⏰ 7:30 PM
📍 The Kimball Arts Center | 1757 N. Kimball Ave, Chicago,
🎟️ General Admission SeatingOur 3rd & final stop for Chicago Theater Week is Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till, a powerful, award-winning live docu-drama presented by Collaboraction in their brand-new House of Belonging in Humboldt Park.
This immersive production brings the 1955 murder trial of Emmett Till to life using the recently unearthed trial transcript, placing audiences inside the courtroom for a deeply human, radically honest examination of a case that changed America forever.
Actors sit among the audience, taking the stand as witnesses for both the defense and prosecution — including Mamie Till-Bradley — creating a stunning, immediate, and unforgettable experience.
New this year! Tickets are available on Hottix, no special codes needed!
🎟 Theater Week Deal via Hot Tix
• $30 tickets + fees (normally $55.00) — no special code
• Limited quantity — WILL sell out
👉 Buy here: https://hottix.org/shows/collaboraction-in-the-kimball-arts-center/trial-in-the-delta-the-murder-of-emmett-till/
✔️ Select 2/14/25 General Admission – 7:30 PM | The Kimball Arts Center
-reg price $55.00 for $30! so $25.00 savings!Any issues calls Hot tix helpdesk at Phone: (312) 977-9483 or Email: help@chicagoplays.com
⚠️ Important Ticket Rules
· You must buy your own ticket
· DO NOT RSVP YES until ticket is purchased
· GA seating — we’ll meet in the bar & sit together
· High probability of value-priced tickets selling out!! - buy asap!I’ll arrive around 7:00 PM to grab seats as general admission. I may grab a meal nearby earlier & I will post a comment of where I will go for those who wish to meet & grab a bite. Check back for updates
🍷 Food & Drinks
• No food served and no outside food allowed
• Full bar available (wine, spirits, non-alcoholic drinks allowed in theaters)
• If you want to eat, plan to do so before the show — many nearby options
• Some of us may grab a bite. I’ll post updates closer to the dateTrial in the Delta: the Murder of Emmett Till
🎶 About the Production
On September 20, 1955, testimony began in the murder trial of two members of Emmett Till’s lynch mob. What happened during that trial — and in the weeks and months surrounding it — would help ignite the Civil Rights Movement.Written by Willie Round & G. Riley Mills, directed by Anthony Moseley & Dana Anderson, this production is drawn directly from The State of Mississippi vs. Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam trial transcript. It plays as a live courtroom reenactment, featuring top Chicago actors seated among the audience.
Join us as we witness this vital story — and stay to discuss its impact and legacy.
🏛️ About Collaboraction & the Kimball Arts Center
Collaboraction celebrates 30 years of innovative, socially conscious theater and opens its new House of Belonging in Humboldt Park.The space includes:
• 🎭 99-seat flexible studio theater
• 🍷 50-seat cabaret with café/bar
• 🏙️ Located next to the 606 Trail, where Logan Square meets Humboldt ParkCollaboraction’s work is grounded in KEDA — Knowledge, Empathy, Dialogue, and Action — theater for social change.
Kimball Arts Center
Kimball Arts Center is a hub of Chicago creativity located next to the 606 Trail, where Logan Square meets Humboldt Park. Home to a collection of independent businesses for over 15 years. Always inclusive. Always open-minded.🚗 Parking: Metered street parking nearby; SpotHero/ParkWhiz recommended
🚇 CTA accessible https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/
❗ No-Show Policy
3 no-shows without RSVP updates = 3-month event freeze.🎭✨ This is a true Theater Week steal — grab your ticket before it’s gone!
4 attendees
Past events
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