Resurrection Cemetery (Justice, Illinois)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Resurrection Catholic Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 Main gate on Archer Avenue | |
 Interactive map of Resurrection Catholic Cemetery | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1904 |
| Location | 7201 Archer Road S. Justice, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°45′35″N 87°49′39″W / 41.75972°N 87.82750°W |
| Type | Catholic |
| Owned by | Archdiocese of Chicago |
| Size | 397 acres |
| No. of interments | 225,000 |
| Website | Official website |
| Find a Grave | Resurrection Catholic Cemetery |
Resurrection Catholic Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery in Justice, Illinois, a south suburb of the Chicago metro area. Consecrated in 1904, the cemetery is maintained and owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago.[1] Resurrection is the reputed resting place of Resurrection Mary, topic of a popular Chicago ghost story.
In 1969, Resurrection Mausoleum was constructed in the cemetery grounds. The 22,381 square feet stained glass window of the mausoleum, completed in 1971, is recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest in the world.[2] The 2,400 panels of the glass depict the history of man's salvation, from the creation of man, until the second coming of Christ.
In 1969 prior to his papacy as a Cardinal, Pope John Paul II visited the cemetery once in 1969 during his time as Archbishop of Kraków, Poland to bless the Polish Millennium Shrine which celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of Christianity in Poland. He visited again in 1979 with 15 other Polish Bishops to tour the mausoleum which honors the history of Polish Christianity. [3]
In 1983 a small indoor mausoleum was dedicated to Pope John Paul II opened contains 275 crypts and photos and memorabilia of the Pope’s 1979 visit. On Memorial Day 2016 Archbishop of Chicago Blase Cupich celebrated Mass and blessed the 20ft tall statue of John Paul II in front of 2,500 people. The statue stands on top of a 86,000 Lbs. of Black Granite Base and Catholic Cemeteries of Chicago commissioned Teresa Clark in 2013 for the statue.