Piece of saint's cloak in Chicago
By Carlos Morales

Tribune staff reporter
July 26, 2003

Martha Ponderlik traveled from the North Side to Little Village on
Friday to see a relic sacred to Mexican and Mexican-American Catholics
because, "When the Lord says `go,' you go."

The half-inch-square piece of the cloak of Juan Diego, a 16th Century
shepherd, is touring 18 U.S. cities on the Tilma of Tepeyac Tour.
The faithful believe the Virgin Mary appeared to Diego in 1531 on
Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City and told him to tell the bishop to build a
church in the name of Our Lady of Guadalupe (La Virgen de Guadalupe).
Her image is said to have appeared on his cloak.

"The image helps us reconnect with our heritage, history and faith, and
that's the role of relics," said Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, director of
Hispanic ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
"For many Mexicans who can't travel home, it helps to transport them
there."

But not only Mexicans and Mexican-Americans went to Our Lady of Tepeyac
Parish on Whipple Street near Cermak Road to see the relic, which was
encased in a small silver locket and draped around the neck of a 17th
Century statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

"Any chance I get to be close to [Virgin Mary] physically, I'll take,"
said Jennifer Haggerty, 28, of Evergreen Park. "She's always with me
spiritually."

About 200 people were at the church at 5 p.m. Friday, many praying
before the relic.

"It's an opportunity to renew my faith," said Alfredo Zamora, 50, of
Little Village. Most people in the church joined a procession during
which the relic was draped around the neck of a newly acquired statue of
Juan Diego, who was canonized July 31, 2002, in Mexico City by Pope John
Paul II, an event attended by about 5 million people.

"The tilma gives us a bond that goes beyond years and distance," said
Rev. James Miller, pastor of the church of the cloak. The 18-city tour
began May 30 in Denver and ends Dec. 7 in New York.Copyright (c) 2003, Chicago Tribune
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