Holy Trinity Cathedral, Chicago

Infobox_nrhp | name =Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral and Rectory
nrhp_type =


caption =View of the church in 1906.
location= Chicago, IL
lat_degrees = 41 | lat_minutes = 54 | lat_seconds = 6.98 | lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 87 | long_minutes = 40 | long_seconds = 54.77 | long_direction = W
area =
built =1903
architect= Louis Sullivan
added = March 16, 1976
governing_body = Orthodox Church in America
refnum=76000693 cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral is the Cathedral Church of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the Midwest. It is one of only two churches designed by Louis Sullivan, one of the seminal architects of the 20th century. It is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places and is designated a Chicago Landmark. [cite web |url=http://www.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/H/HolyTrinity.html |title=Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral and Rectory |accessdate=2007-12-16 |work=Chicago Landmarks| publisher=City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division ]

History

The church was commissioned by the growing Russian congregation of Chicago, Illinois and sits on the outskirts of what is known today as Ukrainian Village. It remains one of only two Orthodox Churches servicing the orthodox community in Ukrainian Village. Construction work, partly financed by Tsar St. Nicholas II of Russia, lasted from 1899 to 1903. The church retains many features of the Russian provincial architecture, including an octagonal dome and a frontal belltower. It is believed that the emigrants wished the church to be "remindful of the small, intimate, rural buildings they left behind in the Old World" [Marilyn Joyce Segal Chiat. "Spiritual Traveler: Chicago and Illinois". ISBN 1-58768-010-6. Page 157.] Actually, the church would have passed unnoticed in the Russian countryside, if it were not for Sullivan's hallmark modern sensibility. The cathedral's interior is based on the St Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kiev. The church is highlighted in numerous books on church architecture, among them "Chicago Churches: A Photographic Essay" by Elizabeth Johnson (Uppercase Books Inc, 1999) as well as "The Spiritual Traveler's Guide to Chicago and Illinois"" by Marilyn Chiat (HiddenSpring 2004). The church was consecrated by St.Tikhon of Moscow and was under the spiritual guidance of St. John of Chicago (Kochurov) during its early years.

The church was elevated to a cathedral in 1923, and stands today a proud member of the Orthodox community in Chicago. It serves as the Cathedral Church of The Orthodox Church in America diocese of the Midwest with Archbishop Job serving as its rector and Archpriest John Adamcio as its dean. It maintains daily services with a faithful following.

References

External links

* [http://www.holytrinitycathedral.net/ Official website]