Friday, May 31
Order of Events:
On Friday, May 31st at 7:00 p.m., Kevin Matthews will speak at at St. John Cantius Church (825 N. Carpenter St. Chicago, IL 60642). He will give a talk on his life since MS as well as the finding of the statue of "Our Lady of the Broken" and how it has affected his life.
Following his talk, a candlelight procession will take place as thousands walk down Chicago Avenue towards the Water Tower in downtown Chicago where a brief prayer service will take place.
Schedule:
7:00 pm - Welcome ad Introduction
7:10 pm - Talk by Kevin Matthews begins
8:00 pm - Procession begins
9:00 pm - Prayer Service at the Water Tower
9:15 p.m. - Conclusion
Parking:
Free parking on city streets in the area will be available courtesy of the Chicago Police Department. Parking attendants will be available to help you find a spot. You will not have to pay the meters.
However, this is a major event with large crowds, so we encourage you to arrive via public transit or other means ans parking will be limited in the area.
Carpenter Street in front of St. John Cantius as well as some of Ogden Avenue will be closed and reserved for the event.
Candles and Materials:
All materials and candles are provided free of charge. You will receive them when you arrive from our greeters and ushers.
Destination:
We are processing to the Water Tower in downtown Chicago (the corner of Chicago Ave. and Michigan Ave.). The Water Tower is the only structure to survive the Great Chicago Fire.
Conclusion of Event:
The event ends with the prayer service at the Water Tower. Following the event, there will be some buses available for transportation back to St. John Cantius. However, participants are welcome to disperse as they desire (bus, walking, uber, etc.).
Safety:
Throughout the procession Marshals will be attending to the crowds to make sure that people are safe and move in an organized fashion. Chicago Police and Fire will also be on scene at various points to provide first aid and EMS if necessary.
Nine Days of Prayer:
The statue of Our Lady of the Broken will be at St. John Cantius until June 9th. We welcome anyone to come during these days and venerate the image of Our Lady.