Former St. John of God Church in Chicago, outside view [Polish parishes and churches in Chicago]

The parish of St. John of God was the second Polish community established in the Chicago meat industry district, the Back of the Yards, in the part known as the New City.
The cornerstone of the church was consecrated by Bishop Alexander J. McGavick on 13 October, 1918. Three brass cans containing three Polish newspapers: Dziennik Chicagowski, Dziennik Związkowy and Dziennik Narodowy were placed right next to it, as well as a document about the history of the parish, some earth from the Kosciuszko Mound in Cracow and a flask of holy water from Lourdes.
It was a large building designed by the architect Henry J. Schlacks in a style that combined Renaissance and Baroque motifs. A particularly impressive feature was the two-tower façade, with an arcade sheltering the entrance. The rosette of the façade contains a stainedglass window with the image of St. Cecilia, the patroness of church music.