Christ the Savior (Orthodox Church in America) on LaSalle St. in Chicago, Illinois has undergone a surprising, even miraculous, transformation over the past decade. When I first darkened its doorway in 2004 it looked as it was: an abandoned Anglican-style church with dingy walls, poor lighting, and a makeshift iconostasis that was just attractive enough to take one’s mind off the surroundings. Had a city building inspector paid it any serious mind, the place probably would have been condemned. But then things started to come together. Minor improvements were made which gave way to a larger vision of how a temple to God could be erected out of, or rather in place of, dust and decay. Many good souls sacrificed a great deal to bring a beacon of light to downtown Chicago. My contribution was anything but significant, though I still have a scar on my right bicep from my amateurish foray into ripping up carpet. No one warned me that it was affixed with rusty nails.
Christ the Savior, or CTS (as most called it), benefitted greatly from the iconographic work of Fr. Theodore Jurewicz, a priest from the Old Rite Church of the Nativity in Erie, Pennsylvania and arguably the greatest living iconographer in North America. Although he had accomplished a great deal at the parish when I parted in 2011, I was astonished to see the final results. I am not sure I will ever have the opportunity to see it again face to face, but digital testaments like this are perhaps one reason God allows the Internet to exist.
The other reason of course is MLB.TV.
