A very Roseland Christmas

When talking with other Roselandites, the topic of “The Ave” (Michigan Avenue) is never far away. If the conversation continues for a while, talk always turns seasonal.

Typically, we chat about cruising The Ave to check out who was hanging out; then about shopping at the different stores; then about dining at the pizza places and restaurants. July Sidewalk Sale would then come up, inevitably followed by Christmas on The Ave.

The Ninth Ward Aldermanic Office, run by either Alderman Lupo or Alderman Adducci, would send workers up and down The Ave hanging huge red-and-white candy canes with lines of red poinsettias cascading down their sides. The stores would all have holiday decorations and sales on items to complete our Christmas wish lists.

Anyone talking about shopping The Ave at Christmastime would never fail to mention the one thing that grabbed the attention of both young and old: the Christmas Merchant’s Parade sponsored by Gately’s People Store.  The festivities got kids looking forward to Christmas presents and the birth of Christ.

The parade drew crowds of families from Roseland and the neighboring communities and towns. The big draw was the float with Santa Claus and his elves, who tossed candy in every direction for the kids to pick up.

In keeping with the sense of joy those memories bring, I continue to embrace the Christmas story told by Mario Avignone, the founder of this column. Fr. Pierini asked him decades ago to start writing Petals as a way of keeping Roseland alive in our hearts as the St. Anthony Bulletin written for the men and women in service had done during the war years.

In my 17 years as the author of this column, my goal has been to maintain the traditional sense of belonging to the larger community of those who grew up in Roseland, Pullman and Kensington. I hope this link to our past brings joy and happiness to all.

Mario’s Christmas Tale

Years ago, when Fr. Joseph Chiminello was pastor of St. Anthony, he had a beautiful manger scene set up in front of the old church altar. It cost a lot of money to import from Italy, and it was his pride and joy.

On Christmas morning, Fr. Joe went into the church between masses to pray in front of the imported crib. He was shocked to see the Baby Jesus had disappeared! He looked everywhere in the church but couldn’t find the beautiful little statue.

He phoned the Kensington Police Station, then located at 115th Street and Indiana Avenue, and talked to Commander Tom O’Brien and reported the Baby Jesus was missing and someone had stolen it.

Commander O’Brien and his best detectives rushed to the church. Judge Alexander Napoli, who lived in the neighborhood, heard about the Baby Jesus being missing from the Nativity crib and rushed to help find it.

Someone phoned Alderman Dominic Lupo and reported that the Baby Jesus had been stolen from St. Anthony Church. He too, joined in the search but to no avail.

Fr. Chiminello, Commander O’Brien, Judge Napoli and Alderman Lupo stood at the front of the church in front of the Nativity discussing who might have stolen the beautiful statue and why. They had no clue and were at a loss as to why anyone would commit such a sacrilege.

Just then there was a sound in the back of the church of a door opening. As they watched in disbelief, a 6-year-old boy walked into the church and up the main aisle pulling a little red wagon with a blanket in it. As the wagon drew close to the group of men at the front of the Nativity, the boy stopped and opened the blanket to reveal the beautiful, imported statue of the Baby Jesus. The men were dumbstruck. Finally, Fr. Joe timidly asked: “Why did you steal the statue?”

The boy looked at the men with a smile on his face as his eyes lit up in innocent wonder and he said: “I didn’t steal Baby Jesus. I prayed to Jesus last night for a red wagon for my Christmas present. When I woke up this morning — it was there — my little red wagon was under the tree. I was so happy; I wanted to give Baby Jesus the first ride in my red wagon to say thank you for answering my prayers.”

Pullman’s Hilton Hotel

It is finally official: Pullman is getting a 101-room Hilton Hotel with construction set to begin in 2026. This hotel has been in the planning stages for at least the last four years. As with any major project, the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly to make certain that all “t’s” are crossed and “i’s” are dotted. This is a good thing because it ensures that all financing is in place and all necessary land has been acquired and surveyed.

The long-awaited announcement will bring to Pullman the first hotel built south of Hyde Park in 40 years. The hotel will have about 25 employees and will offer banquet space for weddings, a business center for meetings, and an exercise room,

The facility is close to the Harborside International Golf Center, giving rise to the possibility of the golf club hosting a major tournament. Being situated near the Pullman Historical National Park will give travelers to Chicago an option of being near downtown without having to stay the Loop or the surrounding area.

The country’s National Park Service has many fans who travel around the country with an itinerary that is dictated by the location of the National Parks they wish to visit. When I served as a volunteer docent at Pullman’s Exhibit Hall, many travelers came through to get their National Park Passport Book stamped and mentioned the difference a local hotel would make in their travels. Chief among their comments were a desire to have time to stroll through Pullman to admire its architecture and unique status as a company town. (By the way, the name Pullman Historical National Park signifies that the park consists of original buildings.)

My book “Petals from Roseland: Fond Memories of Chicago’s Roseland, Pullman and Kensington Neighborhoods” is available from me at $20 + $5 s&hl. Contact me at petalsfromroseland@gmail.com or 11403 S. St. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60628; res: 773-710-3559. My book is also available at D & D Foods, 1023 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights, at Bookie’s New and Used Books, 10324 S. Western Ave, Chicago and at Miles Books, 2819 Jewett Ave., Highland, Indiana.

Merry Christmas 2025 and happy New Year 2026!