About St. Hyacinth Basilica · Chicago, Illinois
St. Hyacinth Basilica (Polish: Bazylika Świętego Jacka) is a historic Roman Catholic minor basilica located at 3636 West Wolfram Street in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1894 by the Congregation of the Resurrection to serve Chicago's growing Polish community, the parish was originally established in a small wooden structure at Milwaukee and Central Park Avenues. The current monumental red-brick church, designed by the prolific ecclesiastical architects Worthmann & Steinbach in the Classical Revival style with a Baroque-influenced interior, was begun in 1917 and dedicated on October 16, 1921 by Archbishop George Mundelein. In 2003, Pope John Paul II elevated the church to the status of Minor Basilica, recognizing its historical, spiritual, and pastoral significance. Today the parish maintains an active Polish and English liturgical life, drawing over 8,000 worshippers on a typical Sunday and operating one of Chicago's most visible Polish Catholic landmarks.
- Established
- 1894
- Patron
- St. Hyacinth (Hyacinth of Poland; Św. Jacek in Polish; S. Jacinto in Spanish)
- Rector
- Rev. Stanisław Jankowski, C.R.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
Why belong here
St. Hyacinth is one of Chicago's most active bilingual Polish-English parishes, with Masses in both languages seven days a week and a Sunday attendance exceeding 8,000 people. Visitors find a deep devotional life built around daily Confession (offered mornings and evenings), perpetual and 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration, the Living Rosary, Sodalities, the Mission for the Poor, and a Legion of Mary chapter, alongside robust parish and Polish-language CCD programs staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and the Missionaries of Christ the King. The 1921 basilica itself — with its three-towered façade, Kilgen organ, Meyer and Zettler stained glass, and dome mural honoring Pope John Paul II — is a living landmark of Chicago's Polish heritage and offers a rare combination of historical grandeur and intensely lived parish life.
Mass times at St. Hyacinth Basilica
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Saturday: 7:45 AM and 6:45 PM
- Saturday: 5:00 PM
- Holy Days and special seasons: additional times published in the bulletin (e.g. Palm Sunday 1:30 PM; Holy Week 7:45 AM & 9:00 PM on Holy Thursday, 7:45 AM & 8:00 PM on Good Friday)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration (per parish homepage testimony)
- 24-hour Adoration held periodically (e.g., June 27–28, 2024 beginning after the 7:00 PM Mass)
- Adoration of the Lord Jesus at the Altar of Repose until midnight on Holy Thursday
- Adoration at the Tomb of the Lord until midnight on Good Friday
History of the Parish
St. Hyacinth was founded in 1894 by the Congregation of the Resurrection in the then-suburban village of Avondale to serve forty Polish families who had come up from St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish. The first resident pastor, Fr. Casimir Gieburowski, C.R., arrived in 1895 and immediately brought in the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth to run the new school. As the parish grew past 1,400 families by 1909, a far grander church was planned, and on April 30, 1917 Fr. John Zdechlik, C.R. broke ground on the present building. After delays from the war and fundraising shortfalls, the church was privately blessed on August 7, 1921 and solemnly dedicated by Archbishop George Mundelein on October 16, 1921.
- 1894 — Parish founded; first wooden church at Central Park & Milwaukee Avenues.
- 1895 — Fr. Casimir Gieburowski, C.R. becomes first resident pastor; Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth invited to staff the school.
- 1909 — Parish rolls reach 1,403 families; five parish societies active.
- April 30, 1917 — Ground broken on the present church under Fr. John Zdechlik, C.R.
- October 21, 1917 — Cornerstone blessed.
- 1918 — Walls and three towers raised and roofed.
- January 12, 1920 — Fr. John Sobieszczyk, C.R. assumes the pastorate and pushes to finish the interior.
- August 7, 1921 — Church privately blessed; five Masses celebrated.
- October 16, 1921 — Solemn dedication by Archbishop George Mundelein.
- April 1924 — McShane bells blessed and placed in the steeples.
- 1969 — Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (later Pope John Paul II) celebrates Mass at the parish.
- 1986 — Terra cotta replaced on towers after a fragment falls.
- Mid-1990s–2000s — Comprehensive interior restoration; Conrad Schmitt Studios paints the new murals.
- June 21, 2003 — The Vatican announces St. Hyacinth has been granted the title of Minor Basilica.
- 2019 — Parish celebrates its 125th anniversary.
Architecture and Art
Worthmann & Steinbach's design places St. Hyacinth squarely within the Polish Cathedral style: a red-brick Classical Revival exterior faced with stone and glazed terra cotta (later replaced with specially treated metal on the towers), and a richly Baroque interior that the firm also gave to St. Mary of the Angels. The three-towered façade is exceptionally rare in American church architecture. Inside, John A. Mallin spent four years planning and executing the decorative scheme; paintings by Tadeusz Żukotyński and Mary Stanisia fill the sanctuary walls. Stained glass by the Meyer Company (Munich) and the Zettler Company (New York), a 34-rank Kilgen organ, McShane bells, and 1830s Austrian Stations of the Cross complete the ensemble.
- Architects: Worthmann & Steinbach
- Style: Classical Revival exterior with Baroque interior
- Three-towered façade (one of the few in American church architecture)
- Materials: red brick, stone, glazed terra cotta (replaced on towers with metal in 1986)
- Stained glass: Meyer Co. (Munich, Germany) and Zettler Co. (New York), 1921
- Organ: Kilgen (St. Louis, Missouri), 34 ranks, 1921
- Bells: McShane Bell Foundry (Baltimore, Maryland), blessed April 1924
- Interior decoration: John A. Mallin; paintings by Tadeusz Żukotyński and Mary Stanisia
- Stations of the Cross: likely assembled in Austria in the 1830s
- Chicago Historic Resources Survey: orange-rated (architecturally/historically significant)
Elevation to Minor Basilica (2003)
In January 2003, with Cardinal Francis George's encouragement, the parish petitioned Rome for the title of Minor Basilica, prompted by the praise Cardinals George and Glemp had lavished on the church's beauty. On June 21, 2003 Rome announced that the request had been granted, making St. Hyacinth one of only a handful of basilicas in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The parish has since been designated a Jubilee Church for both the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016) and the Holy Year 2025. The papal insignia — the conopeum (small umbrella in papal colors) and the tintinnabulum (basilica bell) — are kept near the altar as marks of this close relationship with the Holy See.
- Petition submitted January 2003 at Cardinal George's urging
- Title granted by the Vatican on June 21, 2003
- Designated Jubilee Church for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
- Designated Jubilee Church for the Holy Year 2025
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish remains administered by the Congregation of the Resurrection (Zgromadzenie Księży Zmartwychwstańców) and is led by an all-Resurrectionist pastoral team, supported by the Missionaries of Christ the King religious sisters and lay staff. Rev. Stanisław Jankowski, C.R. has served as pastor since at least 2019 (signing the 125th-anniversary Easter letter that year), and is assisted by multiple pastoral vicars. Permanent Deacon Frank Girjatowicz, Music Director Piotr Mrugała, and Financial Secretary Kate Wietrzak round out the public leadership team. The parish council is chaired by Joseph Jurek.
- Pastor: Rev. Stanisław Jankowski, C.R.
- Pastoral Vicars: Rev. Steve Bartczyszyn, C.R.; Rev. Antoni Dziorek, C.R.; Rev. Jacek Praski, C.R.
- Pastoral Vicars (former/rotating): Rev. Stanisław Lasota, C.R.; Rev. Adam Piasecki, C.R.
- Permanent Deacon: Frank Girjatowicz
- Music Director: Piotr Mrugała
- Financial Secretary: Kate Wietrzak
- Parish Council President: Joseph Jurek
- Missionaries of Christ the King (MChR) sisters serving in the parish office and CCD programs
Faith Formation, School, and CCD
Catholic education has been at the heart of St. Hyacinth since 1895, when Fr. Casimir Gieburowski, C.R. invited the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth to staff the new grade school. The parish school peaked at 1,150 students in the early 1960s and continues to operate on the grounds. In addition, the parish runs both English-language and Polish-language CCD programs; the Polish Saturday and Sunday schools together serve roughly 500 children in catechesis, and the regular parochial school operates throughout the week.
- Parish school staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth since 1895
- Peak enrollment: 1,150 students in the early 1960s
- English CCD: organized by the parish with classes for school-age children
- Polish CCD: Saturday and Sunday programs; about 500 students in Polish catechesis
- Teachers include the Missionaries of Christ the King sisters
Outreach and Charity
Beyond its liturgical and catechetical work, St. Hyacinth runs an active Mission for the Poor (Misja dla Ubogich) that assists needy families in the Avondale community, with collections and donations coordinated through the parish office. As one of the largest Polish-American parishes in Chicago, it has historically also served as a cultural and social anchor for the surrounding Polish community.
- Mission for the Poor (Misja dla Ubogich)
- Coordination of donations through the parish office (tel. 773-342-3636)
- Pastoral and sacramental care for Polish immigrants in Avondale and surrounding neighborhoods
Connection to Pope John Paul II
Perhaps no single story defines St. Hyacinth's identity as clearly as its connection to Pope John Paul II. In 1969, while still Cardinal Archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła celebrated Mass at the parish during a visit to Chicago — an event commemorated today in the great dome mural, where the Pope's face appears among roughly 150 figures. The parish's pastor at the time of the 2011 interviews, Rev. Michael Osuch, had studied under Wojtyła in Kraków and recalled the Pope's lifelong affection for the Avondale parish. Praise of the church by Cardinals Joseph Glemp and Francis George ultimately led to the parish's elevation as a Minor Basilica in 2003.
- 1969 — Cardinal Karol Wojtyła celebrates Mass at St. Hyacinth
- Pope John Paul II's face is depicted in the basilica's dome mural
- Rev. Michael Osuch, C.R. (former pastor) studied under Wojtyła in Kraków
- Cardinals Glemp and George praised the church's beauty, prompting the 2003 petition to Rome
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Vincent Barzynski, C.R.1894 (founder)
Founder of the parish; Resurrectionist founder of the Polish Catholic mission in Chicago. Did not serve as resident pastor — appointed first resident pastor in 1895.
- Rev. Casimir Gieburowski, C.R.1895–
First resident pastor; arrived in June 1895 and immediately invited the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth to staff the new school.
- Rev. John Zdechlik, C.R.through ~1917
Pastor who blessed the ground on April 30, 1917 and oversaw the laying of the cornerstone on October 21, 1917 for the present church.
- Rev. John Sobieszczyk, C.R.1920–
Assumed the pastorate January 12, 1920; completed construction of the new church, privately blessed it August 7, 1921. Solemn dedication by Archbishop Mundelein October 16, 1921.
- Rev. John Iwicki, C.R.mid-20th century
Author of 'The First One Hundred Years,' the parish history frequently quoted in parish bulletins and on the website.
- Rev. Francis Rog, C.R.former pastor (pre-2011)
Former pastor; interviewed by ABC7 News in 2011 about the parish's history and its connection to Pope John Paul II.
- Rev. Michael Osuch, C.R.former pastor (2011–?)
Studied under Karol Wojtyła in Kraków; quoted in 2011 ABC7 segment recalling John Paul II's 1969 visit to the parish.
- Rev. Stanisław Jankowski, C.R.2019–present
Current pastor; signed 2019 Easter pastoral letter celebrating the parish's 125th anniversary.
