West (Confessional) Wall

The west wall, which houses the church’s two confessionals, is marked by a prominent image of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12).  She is surrounded by luminous light and standing on the moon, recalling the “woman clothed with the sun” who has the “moon under her feet” from the book of Revelation.  An angel supports the Lady, who wears a mantle of blue-green or turquoise (symbolic of royalty, eternity, and immortality) overlaid with stars (as Queen of Heaven). 

Below the image are the words spoken by our Lady to Juan Diego (December 9) in 1531, as well as roses representing those collected by Juan Diego and presented to his bishop as proof of our Lady’s appearance.

The image is flanked by statues of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29).  St. Peter (L) holds a shepherd’s staff, indicating his role as chief shepherd of the Church, as well as keys which represent the keys to the kingdom of heaven given to Peter by Christ.  St. Paul (R) holds a book (representing his epistles in the New Testament) as well as a sword, recalling the “armor of God” and “sword of the Spirit” described in his epistles, as well as indicating the means of his martyrdom.

To the far left is an icon of The Mother of God, the Life-giving Spring.  This title of the Blessed Mother originated with her revelation of a sacred spring in Constantinople to a soldier who later became Byzantine Emperor Leo I in 457 A.D.  The original version of this icon was commissioned for the jubilee of the founding of Immaculate Conception Cathedral in the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois.  Here, the world’s people are intentionally presented as being multicultural, and the bishop wears Latin-rite vestments.

To the far right is a narrative icon showing Saint Luke (October 18) “writing” the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (which itself can be seen near the Holy Family Shrine).  The icon shown here is based on a work from 16^th-century Russia.  The tradition of St. Luke as an iconographer dates back to the first century, and 41 icons still existing are attributed to him.