More than 200 people gathered at St. Joseph Seminary in Rogers Park Monday night to dedicate a shrine to the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin.
Under the direction of Archbishop Francis George, making his first official visit to the seminary, the group offered thanks for the legacy left by Chicago’s beloved prelate.
“We are here to celebrate the joy of our memory of Cardinal Bernardin,” George said just before sprinkling holy water on the shrine. “We pray God will bless this shrine and we pray Cardinal Bernardin’s spirit continues to be strong in this church.”
The shrine, located at the entrance to the seminary, 6551 N. Sheridan Rd., depicts a small, red brick church and bell tower overlooking a bubbling water fountain. It stands 15 feet high.
Inside the tower sits a sculpture of Jesus as a young boy making a journey to the temple. St. Joseph stands next to him, wearing a prayer shawl.
A bronze medallion of Bernardin, his hands clasped in prayer, sits atop the church’s roof.
James Kucera, who designed the statue, said the sculpture represents Joseph bestowing education on Jesus, with Bernardin keeping a watchful eye over it.
“I knew Cardinal Bernardin quite well and he was a contemplative person who guided young men to the seminary by his sense of prayerfulness,” Kucera explained.
Rev. Jack Clair, dean of studies at St. Joseph, said the seminary has been working since Bernardin’s death last November to design a tribute to the archbishop.
“Cardinal Bernardin was the shepherd of this church and we wanted a way to remember him,” Clair said.
Elaine Addison, Bernardin’s sister, flew from South Carolina for the dedication. “The seminaries had a very special place in his heart,” Addison said.