St. Mary Church
175 E. Illinois Rd., Lake Forest

St. Mary’s is just 29 miles north of downtown Chicago, with Lake Michigan at its eastern boundary.

This Romanesque-style church, designed by Henry Lord Gay, renovated and enlarged numerous times, has served worshippers well since 1910, at an original price tag of $50,000. Stunning stained glass Marian windows from Conrad Schmidt Studios in New Berlin, Wis., were installed in 1970. Some of the original windows from Emil Frei Studios in St. Louis remain. With fabulous acoustics, the 19-rank 1981 Moeller pipe organ speaks wonderfully for liturgies.

While the parish is a mix of those who grew up here and “newcomers,” a recent innovation is to reach out to workers in the area who live elsewhere, with convenient noon Masses on holy days and Ash Wednesday. Parishioners support a sister parish in Lima, Peru, as well as two twinning parishes in Waukegan and other caring endeavors. In the spring, they will dedicate a new Learning Center.

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