beginnings, Heavenly City provides a detailed story of some of the city’s greatest landmarks and indeed one of America’s grandest groups of religious buildings. Architecturally these churches encompass many expressions from Gothic and Renaissance, to Baroque and Art Deco, along with ethnic elements including Polish, German, Irish, and Lithuanian. Especially important is the treatment of decorative programs including windows, painting, and altars.”

“An inspiring book on architecture also needs to inform us, and tell the history of the buildings. Denis McNamara’s text is both straightforward history and poetic interpretation. In very readable prose he gives us the important background to the interesting and sometimes difficult history of how these monuments came to be. Some stories read like great triumphs and others like soap operas. The actors in the opera are the laity, the ethnic pastors, the archbishops, and the architects of differing talents. . . . The great number of images included in this book also offer Morris the chance to pick out particularly fine vignettes . . . all composed with great aplomb. Morris’s photographs enable the reader to see these churches in a fresh light and help visitors to these buildings to look more carefully.”

— Duncan Stroik, Institute for Sacred Architecture, Notre Dame, Indiana