Photo exhibition of papal visits to the Holy Land at DePaul University this spring

CHICAGO — A photographic exploration of papal visits to Israel from 1964-2014 will be on display at DePaul University this spring in a special exhibition cosponsored with the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest.

The 44 historic images depict stirring scenes as well as quiet, intimate moments during visits to the Holy Land by some of the most well-traveled popes in history: Blessed Pope Paul VI, Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.

The exhibition titled “Building Bridges of Faith” features papal visits to nearly a dozen Holy Land sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is recognized as the site of the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus of Nazareth; Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust; the Cenacle on Mt. Zion, traditionally held to be the site of the Last Supper; and the Western Wall.

The archival images will be on display in the John T. Richardson Library, second floor, on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave. The exhibition opens March 29 and will be on display through June 10.

“I was in Jerusalem at the same time as Pope Francis in 2014, and I remember his visit as a very special moment for everyone living in that holy land,” said the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M. president of DePaul.##