CHICAGO - The city that Cardinal Joseph Bernardin called his family began a three-day farewell vigil Monday, as a procession carried his body to Holy Name Cathedral.
Mourners lining State Street made the sign of the cross as the hearse and six limousines crept by. The crowd around the cardinal's home and the cathedral stood three deep. Hand bell choirs from St. Juliana and St. Emily churches walked alongside the procession.
''It feels like family. It feels like a relative,'' said Marilyn Ciaramitaro, 44, who was clutching a rosary and a burning candle outside the cathedral, located just off this city's Magnificent Mile shopping district.
''He's somebody a lot of people felt close to, even if they didn't know him personally,'' Ms. Ciaramitaro said.
The three days leading up to the cardinal's entombment Wednesday are considered a continual liturgy, punctuated by moments of ritual prayer. They follow the private rites that began with prayers at the time of death. And though the rites for the cardinal seem more elaborate than those for anybody else, their substance is no different than those for Roman Catholics around the world.
The public vigil began as family and friends left the cardinal's residence, where a private service was held. After arriving at the Gothic cathedral, pallbearers - who included a groundskeeper, a prominent attorney and the cardinal's two nephews - carried the coffin inside, where it was sprinkled with holy water.
Those attending the first prayer service included the cardinal's family, some close friends and members of the archdiocesan staff.
The gathering listened to Latin chants and hymns such as ''Rest in Peace'' and ''O World, I Must Leave Thee.''
Many staff members were visibly shaken.
''It's so very difficult,'' said the Rev. Michael Place, theological adviser to the cardinal and former dean of the Athenaeum of Ohio in Mount Washington. ''There is sadness as well as some joy.''
Immediately following the staff liturgy, the cathedral was opened to the public. School children and senior citizens stood in line to view the body of the cardinal, dressed in vestments and mitre.
''We will miss him,'' said Mary Mills, a Holy Name parishioner who declined to give her age. ''We've never had anybody like him. He was so holy.''
By mid-afternoon, the line for the viewing wrapped around the cathedral as temperatures fell and a cold wind blew. Helicopters hovered and some local television stations carried the event live.
According to Catholic tradition, the visitation allows the faithful to remember the deceased's earthly life and pray for his peaceful transition to the next life. Visitation will continue around the clock until 9:30 a.m. EST Wednesday, when preparations for the funeral Mass will begin.
Archdiocesan officials were still trying to determine Monday who would be allowed to attend the Mass. Organizers received about 12,000 requests for tickets; the cathedral seats about 1,250. Officials from the city of Chicago, for example, received only six tickets.
The funeral Mass, scheduled to begin at noon, will be carried live on local television stations. (One of them, WGN, is available on many Tristate cable systems; its coverage will air from 1 p.m. EST Wednesday to 7 p.m.)
It will follow the order of an ordinary Mass: a service of scripture and preaching, and a service of the eucharist. The music, readings and prayers convey a belief in the mystery of life, death and eternal life.
The Mass will end with another procession. This one will wind through the opulence of North Michigan Avenue and the poverty of Chicago's westside to Mount Carmel Cemetery in west suburban Hillside - another trip symbolizing the transition into a new life.
A final service will follow at the cemetery, as the community recites its last prayers before committing the body.
Published Nov. 19, 1996.
