Hillside in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Mater Dolorosa Seminary

1926-1967

Photographed by Sean Flynn, May 30, 2024

1. Mater Dolorosa Seminary Marker

Inscription. "Mater Dolorosa" is Latin for Mother of Sorrows
Order of the Servants of Mary (O.S.M.)
The original building and 19 acre site were dedicated in 1926 to serve as a seminary for the Order of the Servants of Mary. Operations as a seminary ceased in 1967.

This monument was the top of a steeple located on the roof of the chapel. Currently, a weathervane is affixed on that original base. The former chapel is now utilized as the village's council chambers and courtroom.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Government & Politics • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 41° 52.682′ N, 87° 54.45′ W. Marker is in Hillside, Illinois, in Cook County. It can be reached from North Hillside Avenue 0.1 miles north of Butterfield Road (Illinois Route 56), on the right when traveling north. The marker is in the courtyard of the Hillside Village Hall, to the left of the entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 425 North Hillside Avenue, Hillside IL 60162, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

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this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Veterans Memorial (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (about 600 feet away); Darmstadt Farm (approx. 0.4 miles away); Berkeley Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Berkeley Roll of Honor (approx. 0.4 miles away); Mt. Carmel Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Bohlander (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hillside.

More about this marker. The old seminary site today serves as Hillside's Village Hall.

The weathervane that is referenced on the marker can be seen behind and to the right of the marker.

Also see . . .
1. The History of the Hillside Mater Dolorosa Seminary.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, May 30, 2024

2. Mater Dolorosa Seminary Marker

Excerpt: "In 1919, the Servants of Mary order (also known as the Servites) opened the Mater Dolorosa Seminary in the rear of the monastery at Our Lady of Sorrows in Jackson Boulevard in Chicago. There is an irony here: the same classrooms that the seminary began in also was the birthplace of St. Phillip High School (also on this site). The name 'Mater Dolorosa' is Latin for 'suffering mother,' referring to a 13th Century hymn about Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, at the time of his crucifixion.

A total of 25 students were enrolled in September 1919 in the four-year high school that was created, and later moved to the western suburb of Hillside in 1927 at the corner of Hillside Avenue and Butterfield Road. The school remained opened until 1945 when it became a preparatory school for those entering the priesthood."

(Submitted on May 31, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Village of Hillside official site. (Submitted on January 25, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
3. Encyclopedia of Chicago: Hillside, IL. From the Chicago Historical Society, a brief history of Hillside.

Excerpt: "The
Photographed by Sean Flynn, May 30, 2024

3. Hillside municipal complex
The weathervane referenced on the marker can be seen atop the building in this photo, taken in front of the historical marker.
1920s saw the first concentrated residential development in the village as more farmland was sold and subdivided. St. Domitilla Roman Catholic Church and the Mater Dolorosa Seminary bought extensive properties there in the 1920s. Surrounded by open land for a time, these institutions were engulfed in a sea of residential construction after World War II as Hillside's population doubled (from 1,080 to 2,131) from 1940 to 1950, then jumped to 7,794 in 1960."

(Submitted on June 4, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Hillside municipal complex image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, May 30, 2024

4. Hillside municipal complex

The marker is in the courtyard that is roughly in the center of this photo behind the ivy covered brick archway.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 1,038 times since then and 118 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 31, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.