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Holy Trinity Church: Chicago’s Monument to Polish Faith and Freedom.

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Feature image: Exterior of Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church, Shots of Holy Trinity Polish Mission can be seen throughout 20th Century-Fox’s 1948 film noir Call Northside 777 starring James Stewart, the first Hollywood feature film to be shot on location in Chicago. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church in Chicago is more than an architectural landmark. Through its art, stained glass, icons, and devotional imagery, it preserves the religious faith, national memory, and spirit of endurance that sustained Poles through foreign occupation, war, communism, and immigration to the United States.

Founding of a Polish Landmark

Holy Trinity Parish was founded in 1872 to relieve overcrowding at St. Stanislaus Kostka, Chicago’s first Polish parish. The Congregation of the Holy Cross was chosen to serve the new congregation under the leadership of Father Casimir Sztuczko, CSC. From its earliest years, Holy Trinity became closely associated with the Polish National Alliance, as many of the organization’s most active members belonged to the parish.

During the twentieth century, Holy Trinity stood at the heart of Chicago’s historic Polish community. However, construction of the Kennedy Expressway through the center of Polish Downtown displaced thousands of residents and marked the beginning of a long demographic decline for the parish. Despite these changes, Holy Trinity remained an important cultural and spiritual center for Polish Americans.

Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy attended Mass at Holy Trinity during the festivities surrounding Chicago’s annual Polish Constitution Day Parade in 1961. Administration of the parish passed to the Resurrectionists in 1975 and later to the Society of Christ Fathers in 1988, who continue to serve the congregation today. On September 14, 2006, Polish Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński visited Holy Trinity and attended a Mass celebrated during his Chicago visit.

Holy Trinity has also appeared on the silver screen. Exterior views of the church can be seen throughout Call Northside 777 (1948), starring James Stewart, the first Hollywood feature film shot on location in Chicago.

Building the Present Church

By the turn of the twentieth century, parish growth demanded a larger church. Initial designs were prepared by Herman Olszewski, better known by his artistic pseudonym Von Herbulis. Because of financial limitations, the plans were scaled back and refined by Chicago architect William Krieg. Construction began in 1905, and the magnificent new church was completed in October 1906.

The imposing façade combines several architectural traditions. Twin towers frame a monumental entrance portico supported by four Corinthian columns. The lower stages of the towers feature Corinthian pilasters and classical pediments, while the upper levels become increasingly Baroque in character, culminating in ornate cupolas. Above the portico rises a dramatic Baroque superstructure of brick and stone, while iron framing supports the segmental vaults and tower interiors. Gothic and Romanesque influences appear throughout the church’s windows and decorative details.

Architecture Inspired by Poland

The church’s eclectic design reflects the architectural history of Poland itself. Many medieval Polish churches evolved over centuries, rebuilt after wars, fires, and other disasters, often incorporating the artistic tastes of successive generations. Frequently, renovations were halted when funds ran out, resulting in interiors and exteriors executed in entirely different styles.

Holy Trinity deliberately follows this tradition. Its mixture of Classical, Gothic, Romanesque, and Baroque elements evokes the appearance of many historic churches in Poland and would have offered immigrant parishioners a powerful reminder of the homeland they had left behind.

A Monumental Interior

The church interior remains remarkably intact and retains much of its original appearance. Measuring approximately 125 by 200 feet, the sanctuary is both spacious and richly ornamented. Iron construction made it possible to create broad vaulted spaces without the forest of support columns found in many churches of comparable scale.

Murals depicting religious scenes cover the walls and ceilings, including compositions honoring the patron saints of Poland. Every stained-glass window was selected to reflect symbols familiar to Polish immigrants. Among the most prominent are depictions of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa and Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. Other windows portray Polish saints, martyrs, national emblems such as the Polish eagle, and traditional folkloric motifs.

The church’s interior decoration was executed by K. Markiewicz in 1914, while the large vault murals were completed in 1926. Most of the stained-glass windows, selected in 1940 and ultimately installed in 1955, were created by noted Polish artist Irena Lorentowicz.

Sacred Memorials and National Memory

Holy Trinity also serves as a repository of Polish historical memory. In 1990, a statue of Our Lady Queen of Emigrants by Professor Wiktor Zin was installed and blessed by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. Two years later, an urn containing soil from Kharkiv, Katyn, and Mednoye was placed in the church. Each site contains mass graves of Polish victims murdered by Soviet authorities during World War II.

Additional commemorative plaques were installed in the narthex during 1993 and 1994. One honors Father Casimir Sztuczko, CSC, whose leadership guided the construction of the present church. Another marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino, one of the most significant Polish military victories of World War II.

Renewal for a New Century

As Holy Trinity approached the centennial of its current church building, an ambitious restoration campaign was launched in 2005. The work included the installation of new copper cupolas atop the towers, new granite flooring in the sanctuary, extensive interior restoration, and conservation of decorative artwork.

New religious imagery was added to reflect figures especially revered by contemporary Polish Catholics. A large mural of St. Cecilia accompanied by an angelic choir was installed above the choir loft. New depictions of St. Faustina, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, Cardinal August Hlond, founder of the Society of Christ Fathers, and St. John Paul II further connected the parish’s historic mission with modern Polish spirituality.

The Millennium Doors, created by artist Jerzy Kenar, had already begun welcoming worshippers and visitors into the sanctuary in 2000.

The Catacombs

Among Holy Trinity’s most distinctive features are its remarkable “Catacombs,” located beneath the church. Father Casimir Sztuczko envisioned a place where relics of saints and the blessed could be venerated, drawing inspiration from the underground burial chambers and gathering places used by early Christians during periods of persecution in the Roman Empire.

The resulting devotional space consists of winding passageways lined with niches containing sacred relics. The route culminates in a chamber representing the Tomb of Christ, creating a deeply symbolic pilgrimage experience within the church itself.

The Catacombs became the first major area restored during the centennial renovation campaign after years of neglect, particularly during the period when parish closure was being considered. Since then, the collection has expanded to include relics of newly canonized saints, as well as stones gathered from important biblical sites in the Holy Land. Today, the Catacombs remain open to visitors on Sundays following Masses and throughout the season of Lent.

The interior of Holy trinity Polish Catholic Church (Trójcowo) in Chicago, built in the grand Polish Cathedral style. This architectural style was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for large churches serving Polish immigrant communities in the American Midwest. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

Architectural Style

The building is a monumental blend of Renaissance Revival and Baroque Revival architecture, designed by architect Herman Olszewski and completed in 1906. The style mimics the ornate, historic cathedrals of Poland to evoke a sense of cultural heritage, using monumental scales, vaulted ceilings, and extensive gold leaf.

Key Interior Details

  • The Ribbons / Banners: The interior features sweeping, ceremonial colored fabric swags draped across the nave. These include red and white (the national colors of Poland), alongside yellow and white (the colors of the Vatican/Holy See).
  • The High Altar: Centered at the front is a towering, white-and-gold carved wooden altarpiece modeled after traditional European Gothic and Renaissance structures, complete with saint statues tucked into delicate architectural niches.
  • The Ceiling Vaults and Frescoes: The nave is covered by a barrel-vaulted ceiling adorned with elaborate, large-scale religious frescoes. The walls are completely filled with decorative murals, intricate stenciling, and gilded cornices rather than being left blank.
  • Monumental Columns: In the foreground stands a massive, thick supporting pillar with a striking, faux-marble green scagliola finish and decorative gold trim at the top.
  • Stained Glass Windows: The side walls are lined with tall, arched stained glass windows featuring intricate geometric borders and detailed figurative portraits of saints, flooding the sanctuary with colored natural light.
  • The Pews: Long, polished oak wooden church benches line both sides of a carpeted center aisle, featuring beautifully carved, swirling scroll patterns on each aisle end cap.

The spectacular high altar and vault frescoes inside Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church (commonly known to the local community as Trójcowo), located in Chicago, Illinois. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

The High Altar Piece

The massive, hand-carved white and gold wooden altarpiece (retable) represents the namesake of the parish—the Holy Trinity:

  • The Center Panel: Features a large painting of God the Father and Jesus Christ sitting side-by-side. Between them rests an open book inscribed with “A Ω” (Alpha and Omega, representing the beginning and the end). Hovering directly above them is a glowing white dove representing the Holy Spirit, completing the Trinity.
  • The Surrounding Statues: The Gothic-style niches built into the towers of the altar hold painted statues of various Catholic saints, including Saint Peter (holding the keys) and Saint Paul flanking the immediate sides of the central painting.
  • The Crucifixion (Foreground): A traditional crucifix stands directly on the lower tabernacle tier, centering the altar around the sacrifice of Christ.

The large, semi-circular mural painted on the wall directly above the altar structure illustrates the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Heaven, surrounded by notable figures from Polish religious history. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

The religious figures and iconography of the Vault Wall Painting (The Fresco) by section are:

  • The Central Scene (Top Peak): At the absolute top center of the vault, the Holy Trinity (God the Father and Jesus Christ) crowns Mary, Queen of Heaven, while angels watch from the surrounding clouds.
  • The Standing Figure (Left): Wearing a dark, hooded habit is Saint Faustina Kowalska, a famous Polish nun and mystic closely associated with the Divine Mercy devotion.
  • The Kneeling Cardinal (Far Left): Draped in a red cassock is Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, the revered Primate of Poland who stood firmly against communist oppression.
  • The Pope/Bishop Figure (Right): Draped in a golden mitre and white vestments is Pope John Paul II.
  • The Kneeling Cardinal (Far Right): Draped in red vestments is Cardinal August Hlond, another influential 20th-century Polish prelate.

The interior combines religious devotion with specifically Polish historical memory.

The elements within the sanctuary of Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church hold deep cultural, architectural, and geographical significance. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

The Meaning of the Banners

The sweeping, decorative fabric banners (swags) draped across the upper nave are intentionally colored to celebrate the parish’s dual identity:

  • Red and White: These represent the national colors of Poland, paying homage to the heritage of the immigrant community that built the parish.
  • Yellow and White: These represent the official colors of the Vatican (The Holy See), symbolizing the parish’s absolute allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope.

Style of the Stained Glass

These windows are executed in the Munich Style (or German Pictorial Style) of stained glass. Unlike medieval windows that used rough patches of colored glass separated by thick lead lines, this late 19th-century technique involved painting highly detailed, realistic religious scenes directly onto large sheets of glass with enamels before firing them in a kiln. The result mimics classic European oil paintings, featuring vibrant colors, lifelike human anatomy, and dramatic depth.

When and Where They Were Made & Installed

  • Where They Were Made: The windows were commissioned and custom-made in Munich, Germany, primarily by the renowned F.X. Zettler Studios (The Royal Bavarian Art Institute for Stained Glass), which specialized in producing windows for grand American immigrant churches.
  • When They Were Installed: They were fabricated and shipped to Chicago, where they were installed inside the church sanctuary between 1905 and 1906, perfectly aligning with the completion and dedication of the current church building.

The reason these windows look more abstract, ornamental, and geometric than the windows at St. Edmund Church in Oak Park comes down to a major difference in when they were actually made and the specific artistic style the parish chose.

While both sets are attributed to the legendary F.X. Zettler Studios of Munich, they represent completely different eras and design goals:

Different Eras: 1907 vs. 1955

  • St. Edmund (Oak Park): These windows were commissioned, crafted, and installed during the church’s initial construction between 1907 and 1910. They feature Zettler’s signature turn-of-the-century “Munich Style”—which behaves like highly realistic, multi-perspective oil paintings saturated with lifelike figures and complex New Testament scenes.
  • Holy Trinity (Chicago): While the church building itself was completed in 1906, the parish did not select or order these specific nave windows until 1940, and they were not installed until 1955. Because they were built decades later, Zettler’s post-WWII artisans utilized a more mid-century approach, heavily favoring bold, geometric, and decorative glass frameworks over dense, cinematic storytelling scenes.

Art Nouveau and Folkloric Design Intentions

The interior design of Holy Trinity intentionally veers away from standard, literal Roman-style narratives to celebrate Polish identity. The church’s design scheme relies heavily on Secessionist / Art Nouveau flairs—strongly inspired by the geometric and floral work of legendary Polish artist Stanisław Wyspiański.

Polish artist Irena Lorentowicz (1908-1985) taken in the late 1920s or early 1930s. This period aligns when she was an art student at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, studying under celebrated figures like Tadeusz Pruszkowski. Her abstract windows at Holy Trinity weren’t actually fabricated and shipped to Chicago until 1955. Public Domain.

To match this unique interior energy, the lower sections of these windows focus heavily on stylized, abstract geometric borders, folk art color patterns, and prominent Polish eagles and traditional cultural motifs. Instead of massive, full-window portraits, the figurative depictions of Polish saints and martyrs are intentionally condensed into smaller, ornamental medallions nestled within a sea of abstract, light-filtering patterns.

Before the current abstract stained glass windows were installed in 1955, the window frames at Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church held standard, temporary windows common to newly constructed churches of that era.

When the building was completed in 1906, the parish was entirely out of funds due to the immense cost of constructing such a massive, ornate structure. To get the building open for services, they installed temporary panes of clear or basic frosted cathedral glass, which lacked any of the intricate figures or colorful Polish motifs seen today.

The openings remained this way for nearly 50 years. While internal stenciling was added in 1914 and the monumental ceiling vault frescoes were painted in 1926, the empty clear windows were kept until the parish could finally afford a permanent artistic upgrade. They officially selected the final custom designs from Munich in 1940, but due to the disruptions of World War II and the post-war recovery in Germany, the abstract Irena Lorentowicz windows weren’t actually fabricated and shipped to Chicago until 1955.

A Shift to Polish Folk Art & “Young Poland” Imagery

When the parish finally had the funds to complete the windows, they consciously chose to step away from traditional Roman or German imagery. They hired prominent Polish artist Irena Lorentowicz, a theatrical designer and painter who was deeply influenced by the Młoda Polska (Young Poland) Art Nouveau movement.

Lorentowicz deliberately chose to make the windows more geometric and abstract. Rather than filling the panels with traditional, heavy biblical scenes, she seamlessly wove stylized Polish geometric folk patterns, folkloric textiles, and Polish eagles directly into the light-filtering glass grids. This choice honored the mid-century modern aesthetic while proudly celebrating the specific identity of the Chicago Polish community.

View of the sanctuary inside Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church (Trójcowo) in Chicago during a service. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

  • The Congregation: Parishioners are seated in the rows of dark wooden pews in the foreground, facing the altar area. Several people can be seen standing or moving in the aisle near the front left.
  • The High Altar (Center): The illuminated main altar stands out in the back center of the sanctuary. It is a large, multi-tiered white and gold structure featuring a central painting of the Holy Trinity and flanked by statues of saints.
  • The Side Altars: Two smaller, matching side altars flank the main altarpiece. The left side altar features a statue of the Virgin Mary, while the right-side altar features another prominent religious figure, with a traditional crucifix nearby.

The Circular Rose Windows

Two vibrant, blue-dominated circular stained glass rose windows are visible on either side of the sanctuary walls above the altars. The two circular rosette (rose) stained glass windows positioned on either side of the high altar are an exception to the later 1950s additions—they are actually part of the original 1906 Munich-style installation.

Who Made Them and When

  • The Manufacturer: They were custom-crafted in Germany by F.X. Zettler Studios of Munich (The Royal Bavarian Art Institute for Stained Glass).
  • The Date: They were shipped to Chicago and installed between 1905 and 1906, perfectly aligning with the initial completion and dedication of the church building. Unlike the vertical nave windows that feature a more abstract mid-century look, these two transept rose windows follow the highly traditional, literal Munich Pictorial Style. Because they were imported before World War I, they display the signature rich, vibrant blues and multi-layered enamel painting techniques that made early 20th-century Bavarian glass studios world-famous.
  • The Left Rose Window: This window represents The Joyful Mysteries and features an intricate central portrait medallion of the Annunciation, surrounded by petal-like geometric panels blooming outward.
  • The Right Rose Window: This window honors the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven, showcasing a central portrait medallion of her coronation, matching the theological theme of the massive wall mural painted directly below it.

Ceiling Murals

While the massive, overarching barrel-vaulted ceiling murals were completed in 1926 by artist K. Markiewicz, the artwork on the church walls was painted across multiple decades:

  • 1914 Decorating: K. Markiewicz actually began executing the initial intricate ornamental stenciling, borders, and interior decorations along the walls earlier in 1914.
  • The 1926 Ceiling Wave: The dramatic, large-scale religious scenes canvas fresco painting on the high roof vaults were executed as a unified phase in 1926.
  • Modern Wall Additions (Post-WWII): Many of the specific historical portraits and wall paintings seen today—such as the large fresco directly above the high altar depicting Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński—could not have been painted in 1926. Those modern figures were added much later in the 20th century to honor contemporary Polish religious heroes.

The Black Madonna of Częstochowa represents both faith and national survival. The church became a place where Polish-Americans maintained connections to struggles against Nazism and Communism.

In this corner inside Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church showcases how the parish blends traditional religious artwork with distinct Polish national identity. The three prominent artworks, their frameworks, and the surrounding architecture are detailed below. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

The Three Artworks & Their Iconography

Our Lady of Częstochowa (Far Left Side Altar)

  • The Subject: This is a replica of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, Poland’s most sacred religious relic. It depicts the Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus. A defining iconographical detail is the two scars on her right cheek, which historically represent slashes made by a Hussite raider’s sword in 1430. Both Mary and Jesus are adorned with elaborate, relief-sculpted gold crowns and gowns (sukienki).
  • The Style & Artist: Painted in the strict Byzantine Hodegetria style (meaning “She who shows the Way”), Mary points her hand toward Jesus as the source of salvation. This specific replica was commissioned anonymously by a parishioner and painted by a traditional Polish iconographer in the early 20th century.

The Carrying of the Cross (Center Altar Niches)

  • The Subject: This is the Fifth Station of the Cross, depicting Simon of Cyrene helping a weary, thorn-crowned Jesus carry his heavy wooden crucifix toward Calvary. A Roman soldier stands behind them aggressively directing their path.
  • The Style & Artist: This is a high-relief, polychrome Academic Realism sculpture made of painted plaster and wood. It was hand-carved by European artisans in the late 19th century and integrated directly into the structural architecture of the side altars.

Portrait of Pope John Paul II (Far Right Wall)

  • The Subject: A formal portrait of Pope John Paul II (labeled underneath as Bł. Jan Paweł II, meaning “Blessed John Paul II,” referencing the period after his beatification but prior to his canonization as a saint). He wears his papal white cassock and a bright crimson velvet mozzetta (cape) while looking warmly toward the congregation.
  • The Style & Artist: Executed in a traditional Contemporary Realism painting style, this canvas portrait was added to the sanctuary wall in the early 2010s to celebrate the historic Polish pope, who visited Chicago and this specific neighborhood during his lifetime.

Architectural Frames & Wall Details

  • The Side Altar Frame (Left & Center): Built in a heavy Renaissance Revival style, the shrines are constructed from polished white marble and matching painted plaster columns. The pillars feature classic Corinthian capitals dipped in gold leaf, supporting an ornate, multi-tiered pediment that mimics a miniature European cathedral facade.
  • The Wall Stenciling (Background): The walls are covered in spectacular, intricate Beaux-Arts / Baroque Revival stenciling painted by artist K. Markiewicz. The patterns feature looping gold leaf arabesques, floral cornucopias, and hidden cherubim medallions woven directly into the beige background.
  • The Stained Glass Window: Rising above the papal portrait is one of the custom 1955 Munich-style windows. It frames geometric patterns and abstract floral glass panels that echo the shapes of traditional Polish paper-cutting folk art (wycinanki).
  • The Staircase Railing (Foreground): The white marble staircase railing leading up toward the sanctuary features a line of open geometric circle-and-scroll cuts, which parishioners have beautifully decorated with hanging ornamental painted globes, adding a unique festive texture to the architecture.

The Icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa (The Black Madonna)

Devotion to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa has anchored Polish spirituality since the late 14th century, when Prince Władysław Opolczyk brought the sacred icon to the Jasna Góra Monastery in 1382.

While Catholic and Orthodox pious tradition holds that Saint Luke the Evangelist painted the image on a cedar tabletop crafted by Saint Joseph for the Holy Family, modern art historians classify the artwork as a Byzantine Hodegetria icon—a style depicting Mary pointing toward Christ as the Way—and estimate its original creation between the 6th and 9th centuries.

The icon’s physical composition changed forever on Easter Monday in 1430, when Hussite raiders plundered the monastery, slashed the Virgin Mary’s face with a sword, and shattered the wooden panel. King Władysław Jagiełło commissioned the realm’s finest artists to restore the holy image, but they faced a technical hurdle. The icon had originally been rendered using an ancient, wax-based encaustic technique, which rejected the artists’ medieval tempera paints.

Unable to seamlessly patch the damage, the restorers ultimately repainted the image onto the original holy panel. As lasting testament to the icon’s survival and a reminder of the desecration, the artists intentionally carved the deep slash marks back into the Virgin Mary’s cheek.

The Black Madonna became the ultimate emblem of defiance against 20th century tyranny

Our Lady of Częstochowa, a replica of the Black Madonna, occupies a place of honor within the church. Poland’s most revered religious icon depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. A defining feature of the image is the pair of scars on Mary’s right cheek, traditionally associated with sword blows inflicted during a Hussite raid in 1430. Both Mary and Jesus are adorned with elaborate relief-sculpted gold crowns and jeweled gowns (sukienki) as Mary gestures toward Jesus as the source of salvation.

Few images have carried greater significance in Polish history than Our Lady of Częstochowa. Housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery, the Black Madonna became a powerful symbol of national survival, religious faith, and spiritual resistance through successive occupations and political regimes.

Both Nazis and Communists feared her power: the former saw her as a spark of Polish nationalism, the latter as a rallying point for faith and freedom. When Germany invaded in 1939, monks at Jasna Góra Monastery hid the original icon inside a heavy oak table while Nazi officers unknowingly worked on the exact tabletop above it. Despite Nazi bans and threats of public execution, pilgrims still came in the hundreds of thousands, and the monastery’s catacombs became a hub for the Polish Resistance.

After 1945, the Communist regime tried to suppress her veneration, seeing her title as “Queen of Poland” to be subversive. Yet devotion only deepened.

By the 1970s and 1980s, images of Our Lady of Częstochowa appeared widely alongside Pope John Paul II and the emerging Solidarity Movement, symbolizing the enduring connection between faith, human dignity, and the Polish struggle for freedom. Lech Wałęsa famously wore a small image of the Black Madonna on his lapel, helping transform the icon into one of the most recognizable symbols of resistance to Communist rule in Eastern Europe—the same Madonna that Fascists and Communists alike failed to destroy.

Portraits and memorials honor modern Polish heroes such as John Paul II and Jerzy Popiełuszko.

The painting’s subject is  Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, a Polish Roman Catholic priest and martyr. He is  depicted wearing red liturgical vestments — a chasuble embroidered with gold, symbolizing martyrdom and sacrifice. His hands are clasped in prayer before his chest, and his expression is solemn yet peaceful, reflecting spiritual strength. A halo encircles his head, marking his beatified status. The ornate red-and-gold frame reinforces reverence and sanctity, while the inscription “BL. Ks. JERZY POPIEŁUSZKO” identifies him as Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko. July 2013. Author’s phograph.

Life and Advocacy

Popiełuszko became a symbol of faith and resistance during Poland’s communist era, known for preaching truth and human dignity until his assassination in 1984. Born in 1947 in northeastern Poland, he was ordained as a priest in 1972 by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. Father Popiełuszko became closely linked with “Solidarity” (Solidarność), the first independent, anti-communist trade union bloc in the Soviet zone. He served as the spiritual leader and chaplain for Warsaw factory workers and steelworkers. During the dark years of martial law in Poland, he celebrated monthly “Masses for the Homeland”. His moving sermons centered on truth, human dignity, freedom, and spiritual resistance. He famously urged his followers to “overcome evil with good”.

Martyrdom

Because his speeches drew tens of thousands of people and unified opposition to the state, he became a prime target of communist authorities. On October 19, 1984, at just 37 years old, Father Popiełuszko was ambushed, kidnapped, and brutally beaten to death by three agents of the communist Internal Affairs Security Service. His body was subsequently dumped in a reservoir along the Vistula River. His funeral turned into a massive, peaceful anti-communist demonstration attended by up to one million citizens.

Legacy and Beatification

Recognizing his ultimate sacrifice for his faith and people, Pope Benedict XVI beatified him as a martyr on June 6, 2010. The text at the bottom of the painting reads “Bł. Ks. Jerzy Popiełuszko”, where “Bł.” stands for Błogosławiony (Blessed) and “Ks.” stands for Ksiądz (Priest) in Polish. His vestment is adorned with the IHS christogram.

Wilmette’s Trinity United Methodist Church (1929): Willett Stained Glass and a Home Alone Legacy.

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FEATURE Image: Reformation and the 18th century missions of Methodist founder John Wesley, detail of Willet stained- glass window, Trinity United Methodist Church, 1024 Lake Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. March 2017. Author’s photograph.

Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette is a remarkable example of early twentieth-century ecclesiastical architecture whose artistic significance is enriched by its exceptional Willett Studios stained glass and an unexpected place in popular culture through its association with the film Home Alone.

The church buildings complex displays the key ecclesiastical architectural features of late American Gothic Revival style. Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 4.38mb DSC_0634 (1).

Architecture of Trinity United Methodist Church, Wilmette.

The Ashlar limestone church has stood on a prominent triangular corner of Lake and Wilmette Avenues for nearly 100 years. In the late American Gothic Revival style that flourished in the first third of the 20th century, the church displays in my photo its key ecclesiastical architectural features of (1) pointed‑arch windows with stone tracery, (2) tall bell tower with louvered openings, (3) buttress‑like vertical stonework emphasizing height, (4) a steep slate roof and (5) stained‑glass windows set in deep stone.  Designed by Granger & Bollenbacher, the church building completed in 1929 is designed to feel ancient, monumental, and rooted in medieval Christian tradition — exactly what Methodist congregations of the era wanted. Trinity UMC stands out on the North Shore because it is scaled to frame its narrative, more medieval stained glass and not for grandeur comparative to its neighbors such as Christ Church (Episcopal) in Winnetka designed by Bertram Goodhue, or for crisp academic lines such as First Presbyterian in Wilmette designed by Coolidge & Hodgdon, among others. Of Gothic Revival churches built between 1900–1935. Trinity fits squarely into that movement, but with its own personality, specifically its didactic windows. The building was erected when the congregation outgrew its earlier 1908 Romanesque brick church. The church’s current Gothic Revival building, designed by Chicago architects Granger and Bollenbacher, reflects inspiration from European cathedrals. Construction began in the late 1920s, but the 1929 Stock Market Crash halted many of the planned interior details. The stained- glass windows, including the prominent façade window, were designed and installed by Henry Lee Willet in 1954.

Founding History and Its “Home Alone” Legacy.

Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette is one of the North Shore’s oldest congregations, with a history that stretches back to the 19th century. Founded on March 24, 1874, the church originally bore the name First Methodist Episcopal Church of Wilmette. Over the decades, it evolved through several identities — Wilmette Parish Methodist Church (1930–1968), Trinity Church of the North Shore (1968–1989), and finally Trinity United Methodist Church of Wilmette, the name it carries today.  The church’s historic bell — once used to call worshippers, toll for local deaths, and warn the village of fires — now sits on display near the parking lot.

While its spiritual and community roles define its core identity, Trinity United Methodist Church is also widely recognized for its unexpected place in American pop culture. The church’s exterior appears in two memorable scenes in the 1990 Christmas classic “Home Alone.” In the film, directed by John Hughes, young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) first spots the church while fleeing the burglars and hides in the Nativity scene on the lawn. Later, Kevin approaches the church at night, drawn by the sound of the choir singing “O Holy Night.” These moments set the stage for one of the film’s most emotional sequences — Kevin’s conversation with Old Man Marley — though that interior scene was filmed at Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park. Securing permission to film at Trinity was not straightforward. When Twentieth Century Fox approached the Village of Wilmette in early 1990, the Village Board narrowly approved the request in a 4–3 vote after discussion and date changes. Filming took place in late winter of that year, and the church’s brief but iconic appearance has since become a point of local pride. Today, Trinity embraces this connection, often noting that to many visitors, it is simply “the Home Alone church.”

Beyond its religious and architectural significance, the church gained broader recognition through its connection to the beloved film Home Alone.

More than a movie landmark, Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette remains a vibrant congregation committed to worship, music, community service, and hospitality — a place where history, faith, and a touch of Hollywood intersect on the corner of Lake and Wilmette Avenues.

Designed by Granger & Bollenbacher, a procession of stained‑glass windows that line the nave are set in deep stone. Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 3.40mb DSC_0635 (1)

How the architecture relates to the stained‑glass program.

The stained glass was created by Henry Lee Willett of Willett Stained Glass Studios in Philadelphia, one of the leading American studios of the mid‑20th century. The major façade window, dated February 14, 1954, shows Willett’s signature use of rich blues, jewel‑tone reds, elongated Gothic figures, and clear narrative panels. Its scale and design were chosen for narrative clarity, while the church’s deep window wells intensify color saturation and create a natural shadow‑frame that draws the eye toward the visual telling of Scripture — a hallmark of Methodist stained‑glass design. While Trinity’s windows feel sacred and are tall enough to make a visual statement, they are also narrow enough to keep scenes readable and, like most narrative stained-glass windows, arranged in story cycles. The church’s façade and nave proportions create a natural processional reading of the windows, allowing each panel — and the entire cycle together — to unfold as a coherent theological arc. Methodist churches of the 1920s often used architecture to shape a catechetical journey, with the Gothic style providing both a sense of transcendence and a visual link to the continuity of the church across the millennia. The building and the glass tell the same story: God speaks, calls, teaches, transforms.

Interior Analysis: Gothic Revival Structure.

The sanctuary speaks in the familiar Gothic vocabulary. Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 4.48 mb DSC_0654 (1)

A procession of rounded arches line the nave arcade, a testament to the congregation’s former Romanesque church building, with Gothic pointed-arch stained -glass windows above them guiding the eye upwards and forward. Above these, a ribbed or groin‑vaulted ceiling lifts the gaze further upward into a sense of height and devotion that feels almost instinctive. Reinforcing this vertical pull, the tall, narrow stained‑glass windows have proportions echoing centuries of Gothic design stretching light into color. Stone columns with simple capitals mark each step of the nave, guiding you along the long central aisle toward the chancel. The sanctuary is familiar Gothic interpreted through the American 1920s–30s lens—lighter, more vertical, devotional rather than medieval.

Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 3.89mb DSC_0657 (1)

The space warms into Methodist Gothic. Dark wood pews, wooden chancel furnishings, a prominent pulpit or lectern, and a central cross create an interior that feels both sacred and approachable. The materials and layout quietly affirm the Methodist emphasis on Scripture, preaching, and congregational participation.

Overhead, hanging lantern chandeliers complete the atmosphere. Their medieval‑inspired metalwork casts a warm glow that softens the stone and wood. Evenly spaced along the nave, they reinforce the processional rhythm, drawing the eye—and the worshipper—toward the chancel and the unfolding narrative held in glass and architecture. Gothic in form, Methodist in function, Willett in storytelling, and 1920s–30s American in craftsmanship, including acoustics shaped for congregational singing, the interior of Trinity UMC is a space designed to make worship feel like a journey: from the world outside, through the nave, toward the light of the chancel and the story told in glass.

How Methodist theology shaped 20th‑century stained glass.

Methodist stained glass in the early–mid 1900s has a distinctive character shaped by Methodist convictions about Scripture, preaching, and discipleship. Because windows were expected to teach, almost every Methodist window cycle from this era functions as a visual sermon. Their imagery is intentionally accessible, with a strong Biblical orientation and a clear narrative movement through salvation history.

Methodists understand themselves as heirs of the Old Testament, followers of Jesus, children of the Reformation, and participants in the church’s ongoing renewal. As a result, their stained‑glass programs blend Old Testament, New Testament, and Reformation themes. Typical cycles include scenes of the prophets, episodes from the Life of Christ, and depictions of key Reformers such as Martin Luther (1483-1546), William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536), and Methodist founder John Wesley (1703-1791).

Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 5.29mb DSC_0655 (1)

Its stained glass windows were created by the renowned Willett Studios of Philadelphia, among the most respected American ecclesiastical glass firms.

Façade window – Jesus Calling the First Disciples:

Façade window of Jesus Calling the First Disciples. Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 7.65mb DSC_0649 (2)

A foundational moment in the Gospels — and a favorite subject in mid‑20th‑century Methodist stained glass — is Jesus calling the first disciples. In this scene, Jesus summons fishermen from their boats with the words, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

The boat anchors the story in the Sea of Galilee, while the iconography makes the identification unmistakable. Jesus is shown with a cruciform halo and red and blue garments, signaling his dual nature. His authoritative, summoning gesture directs attention to the haloed figures of Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who look up toward him in response to the call.

Detail of Façade window depicting Reformers.

At the bottom of the façade window are four scenes from the life of the Reformers. At LEFT is MARTIN LUTHER nailing his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church (All Saints’ Church) in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517, that sparked the Reformation. At the bottom right of the panel is a white rose with a red heart and black cross. That is Luther’s personal emblem, designed in 1530 and used on his letters and publications. He is wearing scholarly robes in the colors of deep red, green, and brown that Willett often used for Reformers.

At LEFT CENTER is the burning at the stake of WILLIAM TYNDALE in 1536 whose crime was translating the Bible into English for the ordinary people. Tyndale believed Scripture should be accessible to ordinary people and died for that conviction. The Reformation’s gift is to take the Bible out of the hands of the elite and place it into the hands of the people.

At CENTER RIGHT is JJOHN WESLEY, founder of Methodism, preaching in the open air to Native Americans — specifically the Muscogee (Creek) people —during his mission to the Georgia colony between 1735 to 1737 which, after his return to England, accelerated the Methodist Movement which Wesley founded at Oxford in 1729. Wesley began preaching in the open air, embracing traveling ministry and forming societies as he did in America. By 1739, he built the first Methodist meeting house in Bristol, England.

At RIGHT John Wesley preaching to early American settlers. Wesley served as Anglican pastor of Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia, where he introduced strict spiritual disciplines. His time was marked by conflict, including a failed romantic relationship, and backlash from residents against his strictness, causing him to return to England heartbroken and disillusioned after only two years. 

Methodist stained glass seeks to be beautiful where clarity is key. The style tends to bold outlines, well delineated figures and readable gestures with minimal abstraction.

Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 5.20mb DSC_0645 (1)

Traditional enough to feel sacred – Modern enough to feel fresh – narrative enough to teach – artistic enough to inspire: Why Willett Studios was chosen.

Christ the Teacher — sometimes also read as Christ the Good Shepherd window. Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 3.95mb DSC_0664 (2)

This Willet window is a Life of Christ triptych, arranged in the traditional Methodist/Willett narrative pattern.

At the left, the window shows the ministry of compassion: a haloed Christ blessing or forgiving a kneeling woman, possibly inspired by the woman who washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. Willett often preferred such non‑specific healing scenes, using them to emphasize Christ’s compassion rather than tie the image to a single Gospel episode.

At the center, Christ stands elevated and alone in Willett’s characteristic depiction of Christ the Teacher — sometimes also read as Christ the Good Shepherd when paired with lamb symbolism above. He bears the cruciform halo (reserved only for Jesus) and wears red and blue robes to signify his dual nature as God and Man. His arms extend slightly in a gesture of blessing and invitation.

At the right, the scene shifts to Christ’s agony in the garden before his betrayal and arrest, capturing the moment of solitary struggle that precedes the Passion.

“Do all the good you can.”

Taken together, these panels proclaim a unified message: Christ at the center of the Christian life, the one who heals, restores, and calls disciples to follow. The sequence echoes the Methodist conviction embodied in the familiar motto: “Do all the good you can.”

Trinity UMC, Wilmette. March 2017. Author’s photograph. 4.12.mb DSC_0637 (1)

CHICAGO SKYLINE: The Shape of a Great City.

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Feature Image: Chicago. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.85mb DSCN1452 (1).

Chicago’s skyline demonstrates how architecture, engineering, and urban design combine to create one of the world’s most recognizable cityscapes, where individual landmarks become part of a larger visual composition of steel, stone, glass, light, and ambition.

Chicago skyline from Museum Campus promontory (Northerly Island). October 2016. Author’s photograph. 4.90mb DSC_0104 (1)

Chicago. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.85mb DSCN1452 (1).

Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue looking east, Chicago. From left: Trump International Hotel and Tower, Adrian Smith, architect (2009). Trump Tower Chicago is a 98-story skyscraper at 401 N Wabash Ave, completed in 2009. Rising 1,389 feet with its spire, it includes 486 condos, a 339-room hotel, and ranks as the 4th tallest building in the United States.

Wrigley Building, Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, architect (1921).

Tribune Tower (partially hidden), Howells & Hood, architect (1925).

401 N Michigan Avenue (Equitable Building), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1965/Facelift 1992/Renovation 2016). The plaza (Pioneer Court) of the Miesian 401 N. Michigan draws over 22,000 pedestrians daily from busy Michigan Avenue. Apple’s global flagship store shares the plaza that provides immediate access to the Riverwalk via the Spanish Steps. see – 401 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 – Office for Lease | LoopNet – retrieved February 13, 2026.

360 N. Michigan Avenue (London Guarantee & Accident Building), Alfred S. Alschuler, architect (1923).

85 E. Wacker Drive (London House).

75 E. Wacker (formerly Lincoln Tower, originally Mather Tower), Herbert Hugh Riddle, architect (1928) and Harry Weese & Assocs. (Renovation/1983).

71 E. Wacker Drive (The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown, formerly Executive House Hotel), Milton Schwartz, architect (1959). 71 E. Wacker Drive is the first high-rise hotel in Chicago since the Great Depression. see – Executive House Hotel, 71 E. Wacker, Chicago – retrieved February 13, 2026.

Chicago. May 2015. Author’s photograph. 99% 7.92mb DSC_0468.

Michigan Avenue and Van Buren Street looking west on Van Buren, Chicago. Left: Chicago Club, 81. E. Van Buren, Granger & Bollenbacher, architect (1929).

Right: CNA Center (333 S. Wabash Avenue), Graham, Anderson, Probst, architect (1972).

Near background: 333 S. State, DePaul Center (formerly Goldblatt’s, originally Rothschild & Co. Store), Holabird & Roche, architect (1912), renovation 1993.

Far background: Fisher Building (343 S. Dearborn Street), D.H. Burnham & Co., architect (1896) and Northern Addition, Peter J. Weber, architect (1907). Restoration and adaptive Reuse, 2001.

Chicago. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 4.28mb DSC_0061 (1)

Adams and Dearborn Streets looking north along Dearborn, Chicago. Left: 55 Xerox Center, 55 West Monroe, Chicago, Helmut Jahn, architect (1977-1980). Behind (partially hidden): Chase Tower (originally First National Bank of Chicago), Perkins & Will; C.F. Murphy Assocs. (1969).

Right: 33 W. Monroe, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architects (1980). Behind: Inland Steel Building, 30 W. Monroe, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architects (1954-1958).

Background: 2 N. State/1 N. Dearborn Streets (originally, Boston Store), Holabird & Roche (1906; 1917), renovation (2001).

Chicago. November 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.77mb DSC_0384 (1).

Halsted Street between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard looking east, Chicago. Union Station Tower (MidAmerica Commodity Exchange), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1971). Willis Tower (originally, Sears Tower), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1974).

Chicago. December 2015. Author’s photograph. 2.40mb DSC_0577 (2).

Balbo and Wabash Avenues looking north on Wabash. Left: (with Columbia College wall sign) 33 Ida B. Wells Drive building, Alfred S. Alschuler, architect, (1925/1926). DePaul University College of Law, 25 E. Jackson and, beyond, 230 S. Wabash, a 21-story building built in 1910.

Center: Trump International Hotel and Tower, Adrian Smith, architect (2009).

At right: Roosevelt University: Auditorium Building, Adler & Sullivan, architect (1887-1889) and The Wabash Building, a 32-story zigzagging glass structure, Christopher Groesbeck, AIA, architect (2012). CNA Center (333 S. Wabash Avenue), Graham, Anderson, Probst, architect (1972).

Chicago. December 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.60mb DSC_0986 (2)

From left: Old Colony Building, 407 S. Dearborn Street, Holabird & Roche, architect (1894), Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center, 71 W. Van Buren Street, Harry Weese & Associates (1975), Fisher Building, 342 S. Dearborn Street, D.H. Burnham, architect (1896) and Northern Addition, Peter Weber, architect (1907) and Sears Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1974).

Chicago. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 5.33mb DSC_0743 (1)

Lincoln Park looking over South Pond towards downtown. At left: (partial view) Water Tower Place, 845 N. Michigan Avenue, Loebl, Schlossman & Hackl, architect (1976); John Hancock Building, 875 N. Michigan Avenue, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1969); 900 North Michigan Avenue, Kohn Pedersen Fox, architect (1989); Park Tower, 800 N. Michigan Avenue, Lucien LaGrange & Assoc., architect (2000); The Aon Center (formerly, Amoco Building; originally, Standard Oil Building), 200 E. Randolph Street, Edward Durell Stone; Perkins & Will, architects (1973); Trump International Hotel and Tower, Adrian Smith, architect (2009); At right: James House, 1560 North Sandburg Terrace, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, architect (1971).

Chicago. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 3.28 mb DSC_0045 (1)

Looking north on Wabash Avenue from Randolph Street, the Chicago elevated train follows a north-south route along Wabash Avenue and has been part of downtown since the late 1890’s. The “Kemper” sign is on the relatively dull modernist Kemper Building, now One East Wacker, Shaw, Metz & Assoc., architect (1962). Followed by 35 East Wacker Drive (formerly Pure Oil Building; originally, Jewelers Building) with its distinctive dome, Glaver & Dinkelberg; Thielbar & Fugard, Assoc. Archs., architect (1926). Partial view is Trump Tower. 

Chicago. September 2016. Author’s photograph. 3.89mb DSC_0740 (1)

Right to left: The 233 E. Wacker Drive building (known as Columbus Plaza) in Chicago is 48-story apartment building, Fujikawa Conterato Lohan and Associates, architect (1978-1980).
The 111 E. Wacker Drive building (known as One Illinois Center) in Chicago, is a 30-story Modernist building featuring bronze anodized aluminum and dark-tinted glass, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in association with Joseph Fujikawa, architect (1967-1970).
The Swissôtel Chicago at 323 E. Wacker Drive, is a 45-story, triangular, all-glass luxury hotel, Harry Weese and Associates, architect (1989).  
The 345 E. Wacker Drive building (known as Coast at Lakeshore East) in Chicago is a 40-story residential apartment tower, bKL Architecture LLC, architect (2013).

Chicago. September 2016. Author’s photograph. 4.93mb DSC_0745 (1)

From the Riverwalk looking north along N. St. Clair Street: at right, the 27-story spandrel glass and metal panel 633 N. St Clair St. building, Loebl Schlossman [later; Dart] & Hackl, architect (1991).  
At left, the 63-story pinkish, rose-hued Swedish granite 161 Chicago Avenue East building (known as Olympia Centre) is a mixed-use retail, office, and residential skyscraper, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1984-85).
At right, the 74-story gray marble facade Water Tower Place, the first vertical shopping center on Michigan Avenue (8 floors), also includes the Ritz-Carlton hotel, luxury condos, and office space, Edward D. Dart (Loebl Schlossman Bennett and Dart), architect (1975).
The John Hancock Center—now officially 875 North Michigan Avenue—is a 100‑story, tapered mixed‑use skyscraper known for its iconic X‑bracing. Often described as a “vertical city,” it is considered one of the first major mixed‑use skyscrapers in the world and includes office space (floors 13–41), about 700 condominiums (floors 44–92), and the highest indoor swimming pool in North America on the 44th floor. Its 94th‑floor observation deck offers panoramic views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Bruce Graham of the firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1969). It was engineered by Fazlur Rahman Khan, who pioneered the tubular structural system used in the tower.

Chicago. September 2016. Author’s photograph. 5.06mb DSC_0756 (2)

The Carbide and Carbon Building rises from 230 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago like a gleaming Art Deco toast to the Jazz Age, Burnham Brothers, architect (1929). The 37‑story tower is instantly recognizable: its base wrapped in polished black granite, its shaft clad in deep green terra cotta, and its crown shimmering with 24‑karat gold leaf. Legend has it the architects shaped the building to resemble a champagne bottle — a fitting symbol for a city that never stopped celebrating its own ambition.

Chicago. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.90mb.

Above: Alexander Calder’s Flamingo (1974) sits in Federal Plaza designed by modernist architect Mies Van Der Rohe. Behind it is Mies’ 45-floor John C. Kluczynski Building at 230 S. Dearborn Street and on a sunny east side of South Dearborn his 30-story Dirksen Federal Courthouse. Moving south across Jackson Boulevard is the 5-story 33 West Jackson Boulevard building built in 1910 (with additions/remodels stretching through 1917). Next to it is The Standard Club at 321 South Dearborn Street built in 1926 and designed by Albert Kahn. The Fisher Building (1896) at 343 South Dearborn Street and its annex is next further south. Designed by D.H. Burnham & Company, it was completed in 1896. The Old Colony building on the other side of the L tracks was built between 1893 and 1894, When it officially topped out, the 17-story, 215-foot high-rise briefly held the title of the tallest building in Chicago. It was designed by the legendary architectural firm of Holabird & Roche. The framework was engineered by Corydon T. Purdy who designed it with a highly advanced, pioneering skeletal steel-frame structure that carries the entirety of the building’s massive weight allowing the exterior features absolutely no self-supporting walls.

Chicago. June 2022. Author’s photograph. 7.24 mb

Above: On the west side of Clark Street between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard—visible directly behind Alexander Calder’s Flamingo sculpture—the prominent structures are from left to right: The Commercial Office Building located at 118 South Clark Street (directly tucked between the Bankers Building and Jackson Boulevard)—was completed in 1920 and designed by the prolific Chicago architectural firm Holabird & Roche, Willis Tower in the distance, The Bankers Building (105 West Adams Street, completed in 1927 by the Burnham Brothers, a 476-foot Art Deco masterpiece featuring characteristic deep light courts and upper-tier setbacks), and, on the other side of Adams Street, The Field Building at 140 S. Clark. Completed in 1934 by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, it stands as one of the finest premier masterpieces of Art Deco skyscraper design in the entire United States. A corner slice of the Edison Building is also pictured.