Thomas More Society Sponsors 9th Annual Downtown Cross, Sunrise Service and Divine Mercy
CHICAGO, March 31, 2015 /
Christian Newswire/ -- This Easter weekend, the Thomas More Society partners with private citizens to sponsor the 9th Annual Jesus in Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago. Thursday evening, April 2, a giant cross will be raised, and Easter Sunday morning following an interdenominational sunrise service, the Divine Mercy image of the resurrected Christ will be revealed. The Easter display will remain on Daley Plaza throughout the nine-day prayer vigil that follows.
"By displaying these symbols of the Cross and Divine Mercy icon in the public square, we highlight the Christian meaning of Easter," said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society. "These Easter displays, privately funded and sponsored, are clothed and armored with the full protection of the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution. We're adding a welcome, overdue dose of redemptive truth to our excessively secularized marketplace of ideas, where Easter is so often reduced to images of bunnies, multi-colored eggs, and candy-laden baskets."
WHAT: 9th Annual Jesus in Daley Plaza
• 19-foot tall cross
• 10-foot tall image of the resurrected Jesus (known as The Divine Mercy)
• interdenominational Easter Sunrise Service featuring prayers and music
WHEN:
Thursday, April 2, 2015, early evening
• the huge cross will be raised, draped in purple linens
Sunday, April 5, 2015, 6:30 a.m. (CENTRAL)
• interdenominational Easter Sunrise service begins, celebrating the resurrection of Christ
• drapery on the cross is changed to the traditional white to symbolize renewed life
• the Divine Mercy image of the resurrected Christ is revealed
• following the service, the nine-day prayer vigil, Prayer in the Public Square, begins and runs through Monday, April 13, 2015
WHERE: Daley Plaza, downtown Chicago, 50 West Washington, between Clark and Dearborn
WHO:
• Presented by the Thomas More Society, the public is invited to participate in this privately sponsored expression of faith in the public square.
• The Easter cross and the Divine Mercy image displays were designed and built by the Karl and Nancy Fritz family of Chicago.
EASTER MORNING ON-SITE MEDIA CONTACTS:
• Tom Brejcha, Thomas More Society, 312.782.1680
• Karl Fritz, private sponsor and display coordinator, 773.255.9656
• Rich Wenzl, private sponsor, 773.909.4508
In 2014, the Jesus is Daley Plaza display was vandalized, drawing attention to the fact that religious attacks do occur in the United States. The Thomas More Society regularly defends the right of private citizens to express their faith in the public square. During the holiday seasons of Christmas and Easter there is often controversy and misunderstanding of the laws surrounding the display of crosses and nativity scenes.
The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Headquartered in Chicago, the Thomas More Society defends and fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
