St. Thomas of Canterbury stands as the first of three parishes organized by Chicago Archbishop George W. Mundelein. The parish was founded in 1916 at the north end of the “Wilson Avenue District” now known as Uptown. Father Francis O’Brien, the first pastor, set about providing a combination church-school building. Joseph W. McCarthy, one of the most prolific designers of Roman Catholic churches in the United States, was hired to draw up plans for a Neo-Classical structure complete with a colonnade. It was intended as a distinctively American building that symbolizes love of God and love of country. St. Thomas is the sole Catholic Church in Chicago built in this style. Inside the nave, numerous shrines lit through pastel stained-glass windows celebrate the cultural diversity of the neighborhood.
