#chicagocommons

In the late 1800s Czech immigrants replaced Germans and Irish, renaming their Chicago neighborhood Pilsen, and in 1896 built the Church of St. Vitus, officially named Chram Sv. Vita after the Czech Repbublic’s largest and most important church—located within the walls of Prague Castle. In the latter half of the 20th century the Latino immigrant population grew and by the 1980s more than 90% of the population had some Mexican heritage. When the church closed its doors in 1990 the newly formed Resurrection Project challenged individuals to act on their faith and values in 1994 the Guadalupano Family Center opened its doors, serving the 6,000 children between 3 and 12 living within a half-mile. Located at S. Paulina St. and W. 18th Place, this hub of Pilsen is adorned with colorful murals celebrating the center and the organizations that made it possible, and on the corner in the place of honor sits the venerated Virgin of Guadalupe. @scenesfromthesidewalk