More than 700,000 pieces of antique English glass fill Saint James Chapel with jewel-like color. Robert Giles and his wife painted the windows, which were completed in 1925; individual windows contain between 20,000 and 45,000 pieces of glass.
A chapel saved
Preservation through friendship
By the 1990s, age, pollution, and Chicago’s temperature extremes had placed the windows—and the future of the chapel—in jeopardy. Friends of the Windows brought together Chicagoans from many faiths and backgrounds to support a complete restoration with international conservation expertise.
A Chicago landmark
Windows made for contemplation
The nave windows tell stories from the Old Testament and the Acts of the Apostles. The rose window presents the life of Mary, and the sanctuary windows depict the life of Christ. The chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Second Saturday concerts
Music beneath the windows
Free concerts are presented in the chapel on selected second Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. No tickets are required.
Tours are not being offered at the chapel at this time.
Please check back for future concert dates.