About Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii · Chicago, Illinois
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii is a Roman Catholic shrine located at 1224 W. Lexington Street in Chicago's historic Little Italy / University Village neighborhood on the Near West Side. Founded in 1911 as an Italian national parish staffed by the Scalabrini Fathers, the present Italian Neo-Romanesque church was built in 1923 and dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Rosary, in 1924. On October 10, 1994, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin proclaimed the church a Shrine in honor of Mary, Mother of God and Queen of the Holy Rosary, preserving its heritage after years of demographic upheaval. Since 2004 it has been formally affiliated with the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy, which gifted the Chicago shrine a relic of Blessed Bartolo Longo, founder of the original Italian shrine.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Rosary (Mary, Mother of God, Queen of the Holy Rosary) / Our Lady of Pompeii
- Rector
- Rev. Richard N. Fragomeni, Ph.D. (Rector)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Chicago
Why belong here
Because it is not a parish but a 'hospitality community,' Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii draws people who want to experience the depth of Italian-American Catholic devotion without formal territorial membership. Visitors come for the Sunday Eucharists (8:30 AM and 11:00 AM), the Sunday morning Rosary (8:00 AM), the Padre Pio Prayer Cenacle on first and third Wednesdays, weekday Mass, ongoing bereavement pilgrimages, and the Shrine's seasonal Italian feasts (St. Joseph in March, Santa Lucia in December, La Befana in January, Festa di Tutti I Santi in August). It is a place where the restored Neo-Romanesque architecture, the Ghiberti-inspired bronze doors narrating all twenty Rosary mysteries, the relic of Blessed Bartolo Longo, and the warmth of Italian-American hospitality combine into a single spiritual home open to all.
Mass times at Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Available on request / during office hours (call 312-421-3757); a new dedicated confessional is part of the ongoing Pompeii Rising renovation (expected completion 2026)
Shrine History
Founded in 1911 as an Italian national parish in Chicago's Near West Side under the Scalabrini Fathers, Our Lady of Pompeii's present Italian-style church was built in 1923 and dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Rosary, in 1924. Demographic upheaval from the Eisenhower Expressway and UIC construction in the 1950s, declining enrollment, and the Scalabrini withdrawal nearly closed the church, but a grassroots 'Pompeii on the Move' campaign convinced Cardinal Joseph Bernardin to proclaim it a Shrine on October 10, 1994. In 2004 the Shrine was formally affiliated with the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy, and its bronze Rosary-doors were dedicated by Cardinal Francis George.
- Founded 1911 by Fr. Peter Barabino under Archbishop James Quigley and Guardian Angel pastor Fr. Pacifico Chenuil
- Present church built 1923, dedicated 1924 under Fr. Carlo Fani (1918–1932)
- Declared a Shrine by Cardinal Bernardin on October 10, 1994
- Affiliated with Pompeii, Italy shrine October 10, 2004; Bronze Doors dedicated October 11, 2004
- Ongoing 'Pompeii Rising' interior restoration scheduled for completion 2026
Devotions & Prayer
The Shrine is dedicated to Mary under the title Our Lady of the Rosary / Our Lady of Pompeii and offers a rich devotional life. The Rosary is prayed every Sunday morning at 8:00 AM. The Padre Pio Prayer Cenacle meets on the first and third Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Bereavement pilgrimages are held regularly for parents who have lost children and for widows and widowers. The Shrine annually celebrates major Italian feasts including the Feast of St. Joseph, Santa Lucia, La Befana, and the Festa di Tutti I Santi.
- Rosary Devotion — Sundays 8:00 AM
- Padre Pio Prayer Cenacle — 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 6:00–8:00 PM
- Bereavement pilgrimages (loss of children / loss of spouse)
- Feast of St. Joseph (March)
- Feast of Santa Lucia (December)
- La Befana (January)
- Festa di Tutti I Santi (August)
Architecture & Art
The Shrine is built in an Italian Neo-Romanesque idiom with thick walls, rounded arches, restrained ornament, and an earth-toned palette. Interior highlights include ornamental plaster columns being uncovered and restored, stained-glass windows relocated and brilliantly backlit in the chapel, a new Ravenna-inspired Cosmati-tradition terrazzo central aisle, and three sets of bronze doors sculpted by Italian artist Biagio Governali that depict all twenty Mysteries of the Rosary, modeled on Ghiberti's Porta del Paradiso at Florence's Baptistery. The doors were cast in Verona and dedicated by Cardinal George in 2004. The current Pompeii Rising campaign, with architects MKB and Harding Partners and liturgical consultant Dick Vosko, is restoring the original Italian design through 2026.
- Italian Neo-Romanesque design (Romanita)
- Bronze Rosary Doors by Biagio Governali (Corleone/Palermo, Sicily)
- Doors cast and polished in Verona, Italy
- Twenty Rosary mystery panels (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous)
- Stained-glass windows restored and re-introduced in the chapel
- Cosmati-tradition terrazzo central aisle
- Renovation architects: MKB and Harding Partners; liturgical consultant Dick Vosko
Affiliation with the Pompeii, Italy Shrine
Since 2004 the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago has been officially affiliated with the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy, the great shrine south of Naples founded through the preaching of Blessed Bartolo Longo (1841–1926). The Italian shrine presented the Chicago Shrine with a relic of Blessed Bartolo Longo, who is venerated at a dedicated reliquary area being created in the renovated interior. On October 10, 2004 Bishop Carlo Liberati, Pontifical Delegate, formally established 'a most fervent and fraternal link of communion' between the two shrines.
- Relic of Blessed Bartolo Longo
- Spiritual communion established October 10, 2004 with Bishop Carlo Liberati
- Image of Our Lady of Pompeii mirrors the Italian shrine's iconography
Who We Are
The Shrine is led by its Rector, Rev. Richard N. Fragomeni, Ph.D., a priest of the Diocese of Albany, New York, and longtime professor of Liturgy and Preaching at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, who also serves as adjunct faculty in Religious Studies at DePaul University. Marcia Piemonte serves as the Shrine's Director of Development and Special Events and was a leader of the original 'Save Pompeii' grassroots effort. Because the Shrine is not a territorial parish, there are no formal parishioners — only a 'hospitality community' of members, neighbors, alumni, and pilgrims.
- Rev. Richard N. Fragomeni, Ph.D. — Rector
- Marcia Piemonte — Director of Development and Special Events
- Catholic Theological Union — Fragomeni's academic home
- Diocese of Albany — Fragomeni's incardination
Rector's Welcome & Hospitality
Fr. Fragomeni frames the Shrine as a 'hospitality community' rather than a parish. His rector's message calls on visitors and regulars to (1) greet newcomers at the door, (2) introduce them to others, and (3) invite them to share a pew, so that for an hour each week people feel they belong together. The Shrine's central mission is to be 'a place where your heart always has a home' while preaching the love of Jesus Christ and proudly celebrating Italian heritage and tradition.
- Threefold hospitality practice: greet, introduce, invite
- Hospitality team development as a core ministry
- Open to all seekers for whom 'the restless seeking of the soul finds a safe place'
Pastoral Succession (Founding to Today)
Our Lady of Pompeii has been led, in succession, by a series of Scalabrini pastors from 1911 until the parish structure ended and the shrine was proclaimed in 1994. Below is what is documented in the parish's published history and Chicago Catholic reporting; later complete succession may not be publicly listed.
- Fr. Peter Barabino — founding pastor (1911–c.1918)
- Fr. Carlo Fani — 1918–1932 (built the present church)
- Fr. Joseph Bolzan — new convent 1956
- Fr. Peter Sordi — burned the mortgage in 1985
- Fr. Angelo Carbone — last Scalabrini pastor
- Rev. Richard N. Fragomeni, Ph.D. — current Rector
Pompeii Rising — The Restoration Campaign
Pompeii Rising is the Shrine's major interior restoration project, framed as 'Preserving and Celebrating Catholic Italian Heritage for the Next Generation.' Earlier phases fortified the church towers and installed the bronze doors; the current scope removes post-construction modifications to recover the original Italian Neo-Romanesque design, exposes plaster columns long hidden, restores the original baptistry and stained glass, adds an accessible altar platform and confessional, dedicates a reliquary area for Blessed Bartolo Longo, and supplies new liturgical furniture. Scheduled completion is end of 2026.
- Architects: MKB and Harding Partners
- Liturgical consultant: Dick Vosko
- New accessible altar platform
- New dedicated confessional
- Reliquary area for Blessed Bartolo Longo
- Custom liturgical furniture
- Restored baptistry and stained glass
- Glass-enclosed courtyard for fellowship (Harding Partners design)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Peter Barabino1911 – c.1918
Founding pastor of Our Lady of Pompeii; former associate of Fr. Pacifico Chenuil of Guardian Angel Church; built the first church (1911) and opened the school (1912).
- Fr. Carlo Fani1918 – 1932
Long pastorate under which the present church was built 1923–1924 and dedicated to Mary Queen of the Rosary in 1924; school renovated, rectory built.
- Fr. Joseph Bolzanmid-20th century (1956 referenced)
Built a new convent in 1956 to house twenty sisters.
- Fr. Peter Sordiby 1985
Burned the mortgage in 1985 during the parish's 75th Anniversary, eliminating close to $500,000 of accumulated debt.
- Fr. Angelo Carbonelate Scalabrini era
Last Scalabrini Father to serve as pastor before the parish structure ended and the shrine was proclaimed.
- Rev. Richard N. Fragomeni, Ph.D.since at least 2011 / rector
Current rector; priest of the Diocese of Albany; also professor at Catholic Theological Union and adjunct at DePaul University.