Sentimental Church Record Sunday: St. Michael Catholic Church, Old Town, Chicago - Main Altar

While visiting my son in Chicago in August 2017, I was able to easily walk from the daylight basement apartment where we were staying in Lincoln Park to St. Michael Catholic Church in Old Town.  I made a couple trips there over the week we were visiting.  So far I have written about the exterior and some of its details, as well as a family connection at the rectory doors, and the interior in general.

Today I'm writing about the main altar in the sanctuary, the 56-foot High Altar of Angels (click on images to make them larger).  This altar (as well as the other four in the sanctuary) was carved from wood and painted in the Baroque style by E[gid] Hackner & Sons of La Crosse, Wisconsin, a noted producer of church altars, for the parish's 50th anniversary in 1902.

Near the top of the altar is an eight-foot tall statue of St. Michael the Archangel, which was carved by Andrew Gewont of Minnesota, also in 1902.  He is flanked by the angel Raphael (with the trumpet) to his right, and the angel Gabriel (holding a lily) on his left.

Michael is carrying a flaming sword and a shield with Quis ut Deus (Latin for "Who [is] like God?" and a literal translation of the name Michael) inscribed on it.  The scene shows Michael casting Satan (Lucifer, the devil) out of heaven.

These are the only three angels mentioned in the New Testament by name.  Gabriel means "strength of God," and Raphael means "remedy of God" or "God heals."

The photo below can be clicked on to view it much larger.  Note the many representations of angels throughout the altar, including all nine choirs of angels (Seraphim,  Cherubim - not the same as a cherub, and so on).

Closer to the bottom of the altar are a number of statues in niches flanking the tabernacle in the center.  The two larger statues are of Saint Peter (holding a key) and Saint Paul (holding a sword), and they were retained from the previous altar.  The four smaller statues (two each flanking Peter and Paul) are of the Four Evangelists,  Saints Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John, from left to right. These statues had been in the nave of the church before this altar was installed.

the altar [9 Aug 2009] / Via Tsuji / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Above:  the angel statue just below the statue of St. Paul.

Below:  The crucifix just above the golden tabernacle.

At the base of the High Altar of Angels, under the tabletop, is a carving of the Last Supper.  Made out of a single piece of wood by an unknown Italian artist, it was featured at the Italian Pavilion at Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. It was offered for sale after the fair, and St. Michael’s purchased it for this location.  A better image is here.

More about the other four altars in the front of the church next week!

© Amanda Pape - 2018 - click here to e-mail me.