St. Benedict The African East at 340 W. 66th Street, Chicago, IL 60621 US - There's A Sweet, Sweet Spirit At St. Benedict The African East.
There's A Sweet, Sweet Spirit At St. Benedict The African East.Two large bells from one of the closed churches were refurbished and placed in a simple bell tower in the center of a circular driveway. There is a large outdoor canopy which not only protects worshipers from the elements as they enter but is meant to give us all a sense of a grand arrival. We should feel important and noble about who we are as we arrive for church.
The long entranceway physically turns around those who enter to give a sense of leaving one world and entering a very sacred place.
The turn ends at the top of perhaps the most striking feature of the church, the baptismal pool. 
The circular pool is built of boulders and flagstone, is 24 feet in diameter, and 3 and 1/2 feet deep at the bottom of its six wide steps. It contains almost 10,000 gallons of water. At the top of the pool water flows into a carved out boulder so those entering may sign themselves. A wide, gentle ramp goes around the walls of the pool toward the nave.
