THE FINAL CHAPTER

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| Sunday, May 22, 2005 12:11 AM CDT | () comments

Bill Wundram

It began in the early 1940s with dimes and quarters and an occasional $1 bill. During a prosperous week, $5 would go into the wicker basket at old St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Davenport, but members of the largely Hispanic congregation were determined to create a permanent shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

They scraped together enough money for a painting, and, much later, a gold crown for Our Lady. The heavy crown � to the surprise of those familiar with its story � has soared in value to more than $25,000.

But after St. Joseph's Church closed in 1999, many wondered what would happen to the shrine and the crown. Now, something is happening.

"There is a story behind these events," says Msgr. Marvin Mottet, pastor of Davenport's Sacred Heart Cathedral. The final chapter of that story will be told on Wednesday.

"The initial money was raised when the average annual wage of most in the Hispanic community was $1,300," says Sister Charla Bulko, pastoral associate at Sacred Heart. "The records available from this venture are touching."

The painting and crown were icons at St. Joe's, where Hispanic members were fiercely devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The shrine was dedicated in 1946 and became an icon in the church at Marquette and West 6th streets. But six years ago, the church was closed and the Our Lady of Guadalupe painting and crown have been in something of an out-of-sight limbo.

Members of the Guadalupana Society, a women's group, have long hoped that the shrine would be in a place of honor again. The shrine to Our Lady represented the presence of the Mexican and Mexican-American Catholics in the Quad-Cities.

"We appealed to Bishop William Franklin and Msgr. Mottet to find a home for Our Lady in Sacred Heart Cathedral," says Rosie Ramirez, whose father, Genaro Garnica, was one of the main fund raisers for the painting and crown.

Msgr. Mottet agreed and at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, a liturgy of celebration will be held as the picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe is permanently placed in Sacred Heart, the pricey crown alongside her shrine. The Mass will have Mexican music, a rededication of Our Lady, and a simple ethnic meal.

"We will sing and praise and rejoice together that Mary has a home," says Ramirez.

The valuable crown will hang above the painting during the ceremony, but after that it will go into safe-keeping. Its value has stunned many. When purchased in 1977, the cost was $4,500. In 1985, an appraisal for insurance purposes listed it as $12,888. Now, that figure has more than doubled.

It is 14-carat gold, 5 inches wide and 4 inches high at its peak, weighing 13 ounces, with 13 round synthetic stones. A Davenport jeweler has estimated its current value, with the stones, to be $26,323.

Ramirez exclaimed, "Oh, my gosh," when told how the value of the crown has soared.

"My dad, Genaro, would be so proud," she said. "He came to America when he was 15, always so devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe. He became a foundry worker at the old Bettendorf Co. and raised eight kids. He worked so hard to raise that money for the shrine. He knocked on doors everywhere, in Bettendorf and Davenport. Then, he would collect money � sometimes nickels and dimes � in Rock Island and Moline, and sometimes bigger money. He raised money everywhere for Our Lady. You know, she is our patron saint in the United States. Hispanics revere her. It may seem strange, but even gang members have her tattooed on their arms."

Bill Wundram can be contacted at (563) 383-2249 or bwundram@qctimes.com.

THE LEGEND OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

In Guadalupe, Mexico, in 1531, the vision of Mother Mary appeared four times

to an Indian named Juan Diego. Mary instructed him

to tell Bishop Zumarraga

to build a church outside

Mexico City. After a life-size figure of the Virgin was

miraculously imprinted on Diego's mantle, the bishop complied. Diego's cloak is enshrined in the church,

Our Lady of Guadalupe.