Photos

Chicago business providing clerical garments for over 100 years

Employees of House of Hansen work on assembling vestments and other garments for bishops and priests in the shop at 4223 W. Irving Park Road on April 1, 2021. The store has been providing garments for ministers in Catholic churches and other denominations since 1908. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Odsuren Mijigsengee cuts material for a bishop’s vestment. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Ellen Arens demonstrates how a sample embroidered piece would be displayed on a vestment. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Dorothy Ciobanu, who has worked at the store for 18 years, holds up a cape made for a client. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Katarzyna Gaj sews lace onto a vestment. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
A box contains samples of trim and embroidered accents that can be added to vestments. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Maria Yuhan assembles parts of a cassock. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
A bishop’s biretta sits on a work table. The employees hand assemble and tailor the birettas. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Sarah Pramuck works on sewing a stole. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Gerard “Gerry” Arens holds a washable mitre that they developed and sell in their store. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Gerry Arens, and his wife Ellen pose before a triptych and relic of St. Rita of Cascia who is the patron saint of their store. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)

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