St. Mary of the Lake Roman Catholic Church at Open House Chicago

St. Mary of the Lake was designed in 1913 by Henry J. Schlacks, a Chicago native who is responsible for over a dozen church designs. Inspired by the Italian Renaissance style, Schlacks used three Roman churches as design influences: St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls impacted the design for the building, while St. Prudenziana’s campanile inspired the bell tower. The current church was dedicated on May 20, 1917, by Archbishop Mundelein. The lavish interior features Carrara marble sculpted in Italy, stained glass from Germany, and a ceiling painted in gilded gold. The church also showcases paintings by Gebhard Fugel, Temistocle Lamesi, and Chicago artist John Mallin. Between 2022-2026 further enhancements were made to the church. Additional artwork and embellishments were added throughout the building, which was also repainted in its entirety with a historical paint scheme. There will be options for both self-guided and guided tours of the apse, nave, and chapel. The main church and side chapel will be open. A QR code will link to additional information about the site. Tours are largely self-guided but volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.