Damen and the Great Chicago Fire
Map of Chicago highlighting area destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
The darker portion of the map highlights the area destroyed by the fire. The red dot is the estimated starting location of the fire, and the blue oval highlights the location of St. Ignatius College and Holy Family Church. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Fr. Damen was in New York City during the Great Chicago Fire in October 1871, but when he heard about it he immediately began praying for his parish. The fire came a few blocks away from the church and the college before the wind shifted and turned the fire towards the Loop. Even the parishioners’ homes were saved from the inferno. During his prayer, Damen declared that a light would forever burn in the church in remembrance of God’s grace in saving the church from the fire. To this day, the church keeps seven electric lights lit in the church.
St. Ignatius College was one of the first institutions to offer relief and distribute supplies to those in need. The Benedictines and the orphans of the Sisters of St. Joseph sheltered in the college’s classrooms in the aftermath of the fire.