The exquisite tapestry that hangs in the east vestibule of St. Mary’s Catholic Church is patterned after a traditional image often called the Tenderness Icon. Its formal name is Our Lady of Vladimir, and the tapestry depicts Mary holding the child Jesus with their cheeks touching. This modern rendering of the ancient image includes the three rivers that come together in our city, the Bishop Rhoades for The Most Rev. John M. D’Arcy, Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, and small images of the “Old Church, New Church.” The Greek inscription above Mary is an abbreviation for Mother of God, the original name of the parish.
