SS. Cyril & Methodius
608 Sobieski St., Lemont

Poles who historically labored in its stone quarries helped frame Lemont as “The Village of Faith.” With only one Polish parish in Chicago, Archbishop Patrick Feehan established SS. Cyril & Methodius on one of the highest points here, called Jasna Gora or Blue Hill. Since its first Mass on Palm Sunday 1884, the parish has endured fire, the Depression and a tornado.

Today’s “mini-cathedral,” designed by E. Bielmaier & Sons of Milwaukee, was finished in 1930. A rose window and other stained glass windows, mosaics, statues, pipe organ and altars in this aging Romanesque edifice work together as a visible sign of the living church.

The values and fortitude of its founders abide today. Growth and renovation—current challenges for parishioners— are being addressed in a $2.5 million capital campaign. As church bells ring out over the hills, people here put their faith into action.

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