Old St Patrick’s Church

A Chicago fire survivor, this 1852 church is not only the city’s oldest but also one of its fastest-growing, thanks to the strategies of its politically connected former pastor, Father Jack Wall. Old St Pat’s is best known for its year-round calendar of social events for singles, including the enormously popular World’s Largest Block Party; this is a weekend-long party with big-name rock bands where Catholic singles can flirt. (No less an authority than Oprah has proclaimed the block party the best place to meet one’s match.) The social programs have certainly boosted Old St Pat’s membership, which has gone from four (yes, four) in 1983 to thousands two decades later. The domed steeple signifies the Eastern Church; the spire signifies the Western Church. Call to find out when the church is open so you can see the beautifully restored Celtic-patterned interior.