A World of Church: A Study of Traditional Catholicism in Beverly and Evergreen Park, Illinois
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Authors
Bowman, Marietta
Issue Date
2001
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Built on the concepts of individuality, hard work, and personal motivation,
American society has blossomed and evolved from a vast-open landscape waiting to be
developed to a mechanic, industrialized culture centered around urban life. Since its
inception, the city has provided the promise of a new life and another dollar to any and all
who would risk the adventure. The price of the new life, however, was the accompanying
anonymity and lack of personal relationships associated with urban life, which provided a
stark contrast to life in the intimate and family-centered rural culture. While many cities
have emerged throughout the United States, some have become more prominent than
others. As a major mid-western hub, Chicago has become a haven for countless workers,
immigrants, businessmen, and families over the years, creating one of the most distinct
and brilliant urban communities in the country.
Winds off Lake Michigan and towering skyscrapers are two identifying features
of Chicago. When you mention the area by name people think of the "Windy City", the
Sears Tower, the Cubs, and Chicago-style pizza, all of which have brought due fame to
this fair city. However, what the tourists, travelers, and businessmen passing through do
not often get to see are the smaller things that make Chicago so unique. While there is no
argument that the Loop is the heart of Chicago's business district, hidden in every comer
of the city are small communities of residents who create their own world within the
chaos of urban life. Having experienced a century of major expansion, Chicago now
consists of a continuously growing metropolitan area containing numerous independently
significant communities. In the Southwest comer of Chicago si~s two such communities,
Beverly Hiils and Evergreen Park. At first glance, these two communities may look like any other middle-class
neighborhood, consisting primarily of single-family homes built during the middle of the
last century, parks, schools, and churches. However, with closer examination a visitor
would soon notice a common theme within the communities. There are cars with bumper
stickers boasting, "My child is an honors student at Mother McAuley", neighborhood
children walking to school dressed in matching white button-down shirts and dark
bottoms, and elderly couples coming out of morning mass at the local Catholic Church.
This is where the theme can be found. Within Evergreen Park and Beverly, there are six
Catholic Churches, nine Catholic schools, and one Catholic hospital, which provide the
basic physical and spiritual needs for its residents, most of whom (not surprisingly) are
Catholic. Although this type of enclave has been common in the past, particularly among
ethnic immigrant groups, as Catholics have become established in the United States and
gained more power, they have assimilated into the generic suburban, middle-class
neighborhood. But this is not the case on the Southside of Chicago.
Remarkably, Beverly and Evergreen Park have done more than just maintained a
primarily Catholic community in terms of demographics, but have also established
institutions that are rooted in the Catholic Church and, as a result, an environment that
perpetuates traditional Catholic behaviors among the residents. Through this they have
managed to deepen social interactions and networks between residents, create a
community spirit that is based in the Catholic faith, and have a lasting impact on the way
families and individuals live their lives, thus securing the longevity and future of the
communities. The existence and continuance of the "mini-state" of the Southside can best be
explained by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann's theory of the social construction of
reality. The establishment of the Catholic-based institutions and the resulting impact on
community members has created and legitimated the symbolic universe, to which Berger
and Luckmann refer, and thus prevented residents from leaving this universe and
alternating to another. By doing this, the future of individuals' residency in Beverly and
Evergreen Park, as well as their identification as Catholics, is secured.
Description
ii, 89 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo, Mich. : Kalamazoo College.
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.