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Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/385207
photography by magnum photos With 2.4 million Catholics in Cook County (more than 40 percent of its population at the time), Pope John Paul II was guaranteed a warm welcome in Chicago. On October 4, 1979, Karol Wojtyla visited Chicago for the second time—but this marked his first official visit to the Windy City as Pope John Paul II. In one day, the pontiff traveled from Philadelphia to Des Moines, then from Des Moines to Chicago—and despite the long trip he captivated the crowds, praising the Windy City as a multicultural model, a place of "people who have thrown their destinies together and now write a common history." The excitement began on the evening of October 4, as the pope arrived at O'Hare International Airport and journeyed to Holy Name Cathedral in River North, where he would enjoy a performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As the papal motorcade traveled through the Polish enclave along Milwaukee Avenue, he stood through the roof of the limousine, waving to the crowds lining the streets, who sang the traditional Polish song "Sto Lat!" ("100 years! May you live that long!") and tossed bouquets to Wojtyla, the first Polish pope. On October 5, history was made again as the largest Mass ever held in Chicago took place at Grant Park before an audience of more than 1.2 million. More than 5,000 police officers, firefighters, US Secret Service agents, and FBI agents were on guard to protect the city's holy visitor—who has since been canonized as a saint—but the citizens of Chicago were on their best behavior. As Joseph DiLeonardi, acting superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, told The Chicago Catholic, "The pope generated such goodwill that it made our job so much easier." Headlines the next morning read: "37-Hour Love Affair" and "Pope Wins Chicago's Heart," demonstrating that although the visit may have been brief, its impact was powerful, giving the world a glimpse of a city united and at peace across all creeds and backgrounds. MA Peace Maker ThirTy-five years ago, PoPe John Paul II made hisTory wiTh The firsT papal visiT To The windy CiTy. by michele seyfarth 10 michiganavemag.com front runner