ABOUT US

The first ball was held in June of 2017 at the Cultural Center in downtown Chicago.  It was created as an event by the young adult group from St. John Cantius parish with the encouragement of then pastor, Frank Phillips.  It had a Viennese Ball theme called the St. John’s Ball, and the music was provided by a small chamber orchestra.  Although it was organized by the young adult group, all ages were invited and in attendance to make it a memorable event for all.  

 

Building on the success of the first event, it was moved to the spacious South Shore Culture Center the following year in 2018.  In 2019, the event was moved to its present location at the Michigan Shore Club in Wilmette.  The season was also shifted from the height of summer to after the New Year’s and renamed the event the Candlemas Ball.  During this time, the orchestra evolved to reflect the dance bands of the 1930s with an art deco event theme.

 

  In 2020 the dance was cancelled due the pandemic and the event went into hiatus for a few years .  In 2023, a group of parishioners at St. John Cantiu restored the event with a renewed mission to restore the sacred through dance.  

 

  Over the years, the events have been attended by dancers of all ages and abilities from around the Chicagoland area and beyond. Last year, we had Catholics travel from 4 different states to attend the ball.  It has proven to be a well-rounded mix, with each group adding their enthusiasm and skills to the experience.  It is our intention to continue to host this an annual event, to foster inter-parish fellowship within the Chicago Archdiocese, and to restore the sacred through dance.