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Chicago has many haunted histories and hidden spaces, and Loyola University Chicago houses a secret of its own. Under Madonna della Strada Chapel lies a small crypt. Who is buried down there? Father Jerry Overbeck, S.J., says, “come and see.”
Overbeck, senior chaplain for the School of Law and School of Social Work and host of student favorite “Java with the Jesuit” event, has been conducting annual Halloween tours of Madonna della Strada Chapel crypt since 1976. At the time, Overbeck served as chaplain at Mertz Hall on Lake Shore Campus. When out to lunch with a few students, he was surprised to hear a resident assistant lament, “too bad we don’t have any crypts like Georgetown.” Once Overbeck revealed that Madonna della Strada did in fact have a crypt, the RA responded, “We’ll have Halloween tours with Father Jerry!” A campus tradition was born.
In the spirit of Halloween, a holiday with roots in the Christian “All Soul’s Day” and the Gaelic “Samhain,” Overbeck’s tours combine seriousness and playfulness. Throughout the years, students have contributed spooky elements to enhance the tour, such as organ music and dimmed lighting.
Overbeck improvises his tours and enjoys leaning into the spooky tour guide role. During one of the tour highlights, Overbeck stands at the altar in front of the graves of two chapel donors, nestled under marble slabs within the floor. “While I was explaining who was buried in the crypts,” Overbeck recalls, “one of the visitors realized that she was standing on the corner of one of them. Her eyes grew wide, and she quickly backed away.”
These Halloween antics align with the idea that death isn’t final. “For those who believe in Jesus Christ it’s not scary,” Overbeck explains, “in fact it can inspire.”
In addition to showing the crypts, Overbeck illuminates the history behind other spaces and pieces of art within Madonna della Strada, including the large mosaic at the front of the chapel depicting Jesus, Mary, and other Jesuit figures.
“Come as you are. Bring faith, doubt, questions, and don’t be afraid to play within the Halloween context. All are welcome.”
— Father Jerry Overbeck, S.J
The crypts on Loyola’s campus were not used just as a burial site but also as a space for priests to perform daily intentional masses. Jesuit priests would utilize a tunnel that led from the old Jesuit Residence located on what is now East Quad to the crypts in the cold winter months. This reflects a greater Catholic tradition of using crypts as spaces for worship and celebration, dating back to the Roman Empire.
Each year, Overbeck and teams of excited Loyola students run two to five tour evenings in late October, drawing students and alumni alike, and it’s a hot ticket. Only 50 visitors can tour at a time due to the size of the space.
The crypt tours have been a way for students who had not been to the chapel to visit for the first time, whether it be that they have a different faith background or just hadn’t paid a visit yet. “Come as you are,” Overbeck said, “bring faith, doubt, questions, and don’t be afraid to play within the Halloween context. All are welcome.”
