A Chicago fire survivor, this 1852 church is not only the city’s oldest but also one of its fastest-growing. Old St Pat’s is best known for its World’s Largest Block Party, a weekend-long bash in early July with big-name rock bands where Catholic singles can flirt. It's famed for matchmaking: more than 100 couples have met in the crowd and eventually married.
Such social programs have certainly boosted Old St Pat’s membership, which has gone from four (yes, four) in 1983 to thousands three decades later. The domed steeple signifies the Eastern Church; the spire signifies the Western Church. There's a beautifully restored Celtic-patterned interior.
