BE NOT AFRAID: Moving Forward with Hope
Serra's 78th International Convention
October 7-10, 2021
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What to See, Eat and Do in Chicago
Picks by Anne McCormack
Serra Communications Director
and the only Native Chicagoan on Serra's staff!
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Favorite Catholic space in Chicago |
In my case, the most beautiful space is always home. Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Uptown Chicago is where I received all of my sacraments. I note with sadness that the parish elementary school I attended across the street is soon to be up for sale, and the parish itself will be merged with St. Mary of the Lake (a truly stunning church in its own right, and on Lake Michigan to boot).
Our Lady of Lourdes is well known as "the church that crossed the street" -- that is to say, in 1929, it became world famous for being the subject of one of the great engineering feats of the early 20th century. From the church's history page:
A gang of 50 men operating steel jacks lifted the 10,000 ton building from its foundation, placing it on steel rails that acted as rollers, pulling the structure across the street with six heavy chains, 72 pulleys and two teams of horses at the rate of “a foot a minute.”
After pulling it across the street, they gave it a quarter turn and only then did it rest on its new foundation!
Our Lady of Lourdes is also famous for its cherished grotto, giving the visitor a chance to step into that moment in time when Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette, while offering one of the only perpetual adoration options in this part of the city.
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I have to give an honorable mention to St. Jerome Church, which is the parish closest to our family home now, on the far North Side of Chicago. St. Jerome boasts the longest central aisle in the city, and one of the oldest, most complete life-size Nativity sets in the country, but even better: we are an incredibly diverse parish, owing to our placement in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. Come to Mass at St. Jerome and you may hear parts of the liturgy in Nigerian, Tagalog, Spanish, Creole, French, and more.
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Recommended Dining
Let me give you the lowdown on two foods for which Chicago is famous: hot dogs and pizza.
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I try to eat healthfully as much as I can, but you cannot beat a good Chicago hot dog for convenience, comfort and flavor. Chicago dogs are an all-beef Vienna wiener, usually on a poppyseed bun, and they are topped with onion, relish, sport peppers, mustard, tomato, pickle spears, and celery salt. There is no ketchup on a Chicago hot dog. Be prepared to raise an eyebrow if you ask for it in a real Chicago dog place.
My picks for Chicago dogs:
Byron's Hot Dogs: This is the hot dog spot from my childhood and they do it right. If you're here, you're a couple of blocks away from Our Lady of Lourdes (see above), so you might as well go there to pray away the sodium afterward.
Superdawg: I love, love, Superdawg. Founded in 1948, Superdawg is still a functioning drive-in with carhop service. They've kept their vintage branding which has a smart, fun '50s vibe, and every single thing on their menu is top-notch. They're also famous for their mascots Maurie and Flaurie, which tower above the Milwaukee/Devon intersection where the restaurant is located, and it's a photo op for sure. It's far north and west from the Palmer House, but oh so good.
Portillo's: OK, this is a chain, but it might be the easiest way to get a decent dog without having to leave downtown. They're also known for their Italian beef and chocolate cake.
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When you think of Chicago food, you think of deep dish pizza, right?
I will come right out and say it: native Chicagoans don't eat deep dish pizza. Only tourists go in for the deep dish. We Chicagoans eat thin-crust, tavern-style pizza, cut into little squares with four round corner pieces.
You are visitors, so my pick for deep dish is Lou Malnati's. Go ahead and order the butter-crust option, because you're eating 4 pounds of cheese and dough containing a solid disk of sausage inside anyway!
If you want good Chicago thin crust, here are my picks:
If you are staying close to the hotel, Lou Malnati's of deep dish fame does have decent thin crust pizza. The location linked here is about an 8-minute drive from the hotel.
Calo's Ristorante: Calo's was a Friday night tradition for my family when I was a kid, and they offer not only great Chicago thin-crust pizza, but also traditional Italian offerings expertly made. If you're up north, you can antique and shop all along Clark Street and wind up at Calo's for wine and pizza. Perfect.
Barnaby's: I admit, this is a hike, but if you find yourself way up in Niles (just north of Chicago), this is an unassuming, pitcher-of-beer and sports-on-big-TVs type of place where the booths and tables are all made out of dark wood. The pizza crust here is wafer-thin, everything is handmade to order, and in fact you can watch the pizza guy make your crust through a big window.
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Absolutely one of my favorite places to visit in Chicago is Graceland Cemetery. When I was in sixth grade, our pastor took our class on a field trip of this place, and I ended up choosing it for my high school history fair project.
I know it sounds odd, but it is not only an oasis of peace in the bustling city, it is also absolutely bursting with history and fine art. Laid to rest here are the storied greats of Chicago, including:
- Louis Henri Sullivan, architect
- Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, architect
- Marshall Field, merchant
- George Pullman, designer of the Pullman sleeping car
- Daniel Burnham, Chicago city planner
- Allan Pinkerton, spy and founder of the Pinkerton Detective Agency
Last but not least, Potter and Bertha Palmer, for whom our convention venue, the Palmer House, is named, have the most serene and magnificent monument grave marker resembling a classical Greek temple on the edge of Willowmere Lake in the middle of Graceland.
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BE NOT AFRAID: Moving Forward with Hope
Serra's 78th International Convention
Chicago, Oct. 7-10, 2021
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As we expect most parts of the Serra world to be in a better position in terms of Covid-19 vaccinations and a decline in infection rates this Fall, we have postponed the Toronto convention until 2022 and scheduled a streamlined Serra International Convention experience in Chicago on October 7-10, 2021!
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Reserve Your Room at the Palmer House Hilton |
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Serra International has reserved a block of rooms at the historic and beautiful Palmer House Hilton hotel, at the unbelievable rate of $149 per night. Founded in 1871, the Palmer House is the longest-operating hotel in North America and a designated Chicago landmark.
The Palmer House is near multiple Chicago world-class attractions, including the Art Institute, the Field Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium. It's also surrounded by some of the finest and most fun shopping Chicago has to offer.
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