It is the Polish temple closest to the center of Chicago (1.2 miles to the northwest). It was built on the site of the former seat of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Society, the oldest Polish organization in Chicago (1864), associated with St. Stanislaus Kostka’s parish, the first Polish parish of in the city.
St. John Cantius church was built in a style which is a fusion of Classical, Renaissance and Romanesque features. The main body is made of brick, but the facade is made of light-colored Bedford limestone. Originally it was flanked by two huge towers, one of which was dismantled probably in the 1990s.