CHICAGO, Dec. 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- At noon this Saturday, December 12, the Thomas More Society (TMS) will co- sponsor a Catholic Mass which will be celebrated at Federal Plaza (50 W. Adams) in honor of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This public Mass evidences the recently increased recognition by Chicago and federal officials that private citizens are constitutionally entitled to proclaim their religious faith in the public square, so long as such events are privately sponsored and funded.
"If you can set up your soapbox and spout your politics on Federal Plaza, then there is no reason why you should not be permitted equally to proclaim your religious faith," said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of TMS. "Far from offending any mandate for separation of church and state, such public religious ceremonies reflect that it is rather those who would purge all religious expression from the nation's public arena who flout the First Amendment, which explicitly protects both free exercise of religion and free speech. Last year, despite sub-freezing temperatures, there was a great turnout for this Mass. It was such a moving event that our Thomas More Society decided to spearhead and sponsor it again."
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, the Most Reverend John R. Manz, will celebrate this historic Mass in English and Spanish while musicians from the St. Agnes of Bohemia ensemble, directed by Jorge Velazco, will provide liturgical music.
"It's wonderful to see Christians come together to proclaim their faith and celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe," continues Brejcha. "As the story goes, in the 16th century, Mary appeared to a poor Indian, Juan Diego, on Tepeyac Hill. Shortly thereafter, a symbolic image of Mary awaiting the birth of her baby, Jesus, was miraculously imprinted on his cloak which today hangs in the great Cathedral in Mexico City. This image, or icon, known by the title 'Our Lady of Guadalupe,' is held dear to Mexican Catholics, in particular, as 'Queen of Mexico,' but venerated as well by the rest of us as 'Patroness of the Americas' and 'Patroness of the Pro-Life Movement.'"
"We hope that others will step forward to proclaim their religious values -- values our society desperately needs to reaffirm and embrace -- in our nation's public squares, and we offer pro bono legal help to all in pursuit of that end," adds Brejcha.
Additional sponsors for this event include the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office for Hispanic Catholics, its Respect Life Office and its Office for Divine Worship. Federal Plaza is located at 50 W. Adams, at the intersection of Adams and Dearborn in Chicago's Loop. Visit www.thomasmoresociety.org for more information.
