St. Chrysostom’s traces its roots to 1885, when a small Episcopal mission began meeting in a storefront on Clark Street on Chicago’s north side. After a period of growth and some turbulence, the mission was formally reopened in 1893 under the Rev. Thaddeus Snively, who gave it the name St. Chrysostom’s, after the fourth-century Archbishop of Constantinople. A theologian famed for his extraordinary preaching, St. John Chrysostom was known as “honey-tongued”, an epithet the parish honors to this day through beehive motifs woven throughout the building.
In the same year, Chicago welcomed the world to the World’s Columbian Exposition, and the young parish wasted no time finding its footing. By 1894, the congregation had incorporated, raised $28,000 from its members and broken ground on its permanent home at 1424 North Dearborn Street, where it has worshiped ever since.
The church’s most transformative years came under the Rev. Norman Hutton, who arrived in 1909 to find a struggling congregation and spent nearly two decades turning it into one of the most vibrant parishes on the city’s north side. Under his leadership, the parish built its' parish house, launched a community center serving neighborhood children, established Camp Oronoko in Michigan for youth, and undertook the major 1920s expansion that produced the church as it stands today. St. Chrysostom’s courtyard, the cloister, the Guild Hall and gymnasium, as well as the enlarged sanctuary all took shape during his period. In 1926, architect Chester Walcott received the Gold Medal from the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects for the most beautifully remodeled building in the city.
That same expansion brought one of the parish’s most beloved features - the Richard Teller Crane Memorial Carillon, installed in1927 as one of the oldest in the country and the second oldest in the Midwest, with 43 bells cast by the English foundry Gillett and Johnston. These bells are known for their well-tuned, full tone and these bells are no exception. The 43 bells are tuned to a chromatic scale and range from 5600 pounds to 9 pounds. Each bell clapper is connected to a baton or pedal on an oversized keyboard located in the tower. With both fists and feet in action, carillon performers can play a large range of repertoire from hymns to classical arrangements to Christmas carols. This basic instrument mechanism dates from the early 16th century in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Through the decades that followed, St. Chrysostom’s weathered the Depression, sent parishioners to serve in two world wars, and built a tradition of community outreach that has taken many forms over the years. The Servicemen’s Center welcomed thousands of military personnel during World War II; the FISH lay ministry connected neighbors in need with volunteers across the city’s north side; and tutoring programs were organized for students in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood.
Today, the parish continues to support Chicago’s neighbors in need with monthly dinners and a weekly sack lunch program, as well as a partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, supporting companion congregations in the Diocese of Southeast Mexico in Chiapas.
Music has always been an integral part of worship and parish life at St. Chrysostom’s, serving as a means of personal inspiration and outreach to the community. In 2004, following a ten-year campaign, the parish welcomed the arrival of its Fisk, Opus 123 organ. To welcome the celebrated instrument, the organ’s pipes were carried into the church by 102 parishioners. Today, the Fisk accompanies the church’s renowned choir every Sunday and is featured in frequent concerts with some of the world’s most prominent musicians.
In further support of the church’s preeminent music program, the Crane Memorial Carillon underwent a major renovation in 2023, when the beloved church bells were removed from the bell tower and shipped to The Netherlands for a six-month restoration. As it has since its 1927 installation, the historic carillon plays every Sunday before and after services and for special concerts.
A stop on many of the city’s architectural tours, St. Chrysostom’s has been recognized by the Chicago History Museum as a Chicago architectural landmark. The French Gothic style stained glass by the celebrated Boston designer Charles J. Connick; the Crane Chapel with its black marble altar designed by the noted Chicago architect David Adler; the 90-foot carillon tower and the serene courtyard garden - all contribute to what a Chicago Tribune correspondent once called “one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical structures in Chicago.”
Many thanks to Dorothy Ramm, historian and longtime parishioner, for her extensive accounting of St. Chrysostom’s history. To learn more about this history, the building and its people, please see her Oral History.
