Have you ever walked past that large "cape" near the O’Neil reading room on the third floor of the Richardson Library? Have you ever wondered what it was? Well, in fact, it is an example of priestly vestments. It was woven by hand with gold and silk brocade on silk in Lyon, France in 1925. Why do we have it? After being purchased for the 50th Anniversary of St. Vincent de Paul parish, it was worn by a priest who represented the Vincentian order at the 1926 Eucharistic Congress in Chicago.
Eucharistic Congress? On the wall near the vestment is a poster in a Celtic/art deco style in gold, maroons, blues, and oranges; it shows the symbols of the four evangelists above the Chicago skyline. This poster was for the 1926 Eucharistic Congress. A Eucharistic Congress is like an Olympics or a World’s Fair for Catholics. It is an opportunity for Catholics from all around the world, holy men and women and the faithful alike, to come together to share in the celebration of their faith and the Eucharist. In June 1926, more than a million people came to Chicago for the first Eucharistic Congress in the United States for sacred services and conferences. Services were celebrated in Holy Name Cathedral and Soldier Field as well as on the campus of St. Mary’s Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. A reported ten tons of hot dogs were consumed during the Congress.
The Congress was important for elevating the image and spirit of the city of Chicago, which at the time, was riddled with gangster activity, tension produced by Prohibition, and questions about the place for immigrants (specifically Catholic immigrants) in the city’s social structure. The congress put Chicago on the map for millions of Catholics around the world as a city that was powerful, determined, spiritual, and capable.
For more information on the Eucharistic Congress come visit Special Collections and ask to browse our Chicago collection. Also, stop by and check out the vestment on the 3rd floor of the John T. Richardson Library near Special Collections, room 314!
