St. Mary Church
794 Pearson St., Des Plaines

This cozy church with walls of Wisconsin granite is St. Mary’s fourth edifice dedicated in the bustling suburb near O’Hare Airport. Designed by architects Stade, Dolan and Emerick in 1970, the altar and baptismal font are carved Honduras mahogany, its pews red oak.

Each year the Taste of St. Mary’s spotlights its parish diversity. From a deep commitment to prayer and, they say, a “willingness to learn,” comes the parish’s main thrust—“The Heart of Mary.” This broad outreach ministry offers services from counseling and English-as-a-second-language, to housing or consumer fraud issues, food drives and P.A.D.S.

Spiritual nourishment flows through small faith communities, strong liturgies and Eucharistic adoration Tuesdays from 1:30-9 p.m. As its Web site reminds visitors: “The word ‘parish’ originally meant the way of life in the Lord. We hope life at St. Mary reflects this ideal.”