Parish Pride - St. Robert Bellarmine

Cardinal Bernardin dedicated this third church in 1990. It was a reincarnation of the 1969 edifice that was destroyed in a major fire (see parish Web site: www.srb-chicago.org). Architect Ben Nelson has used skylights, flowing water, marble and wood in developing a distinctive, expansive worship space for this parish in Jefferson Park on the Northwest Side. Artist Jerzy Kenar’s eight foot high “Burning Bush,” a tabernacle set in carved linden wood and bronze, symbolizes the presence of God speaking to Moses.

Some people say there is a special spirit that permeates the parish, including the fervor of its children. Generosity is expressed in many ways from Meals on Wheels to distribution of donated medical equipment for the needy or homebound. Traditions like a weekly novena coexist with empowering teens to become youth cantors, lectors or choir members. In this parish dedicated to the patron saint of catechists, Catholicism is its way of life.