Each morning I take the bus downtown and walk past countless office buildings on my way to work.  Before I get my coffee, most of the glass windows and brick facades seem to blend together.  The exterior of Saint Peter’s Church in the Loop, however, which features Latvian sculptor Arvid Strauss’ three-story, 26-ton crucifix sculpted [...]

Upon arriving at the Kedzie Green Line stop, I began to suspect that I had made a mistake.  When I left the train, I expected to see an Italian Renaissance Style Basilica.  Instead, my view consisted of broken bottles, empty lots, and stores with barred windows.  Despite the seeming impossibility of finding a basilica only [...]