Today is Palm Sunday, the day that Christians celebrate Jesus' final arrival into Jerusalem. It's one of the most crowded masses at most Catholic churches, because the church gives away free palm leaves.

I attend St. Michael's church in Old Town. It's one of the oldest churches in Chicago, rebuilt right after the 1873 fire. The main alter (pictured) was installed in 1903. It was hand-crafted by a company in Wisconsin. Church records indicate that the cost of the alter, plus reinforcing to the floor to support the weight, was only about $12,000.