GRAVEYARDS of CHICAGO Mount Carmel

Julia Buccola Petta died in childbirth in 1921, at the age of 29. The life-size statue depicts her in a wedding dress, a reproduction of a wedding photo that also appears on the front of the monument.

Shortly after Julia's burial, her mother began experiencing strange dreams nearly every night. She dreamed that Julia was telling her that she was still alive. For six years these dreams continued until the mother received permission to open the grave. Finally, she was able to have her daughter's remains exhumed. The coffin was opened, and the body was found to have not decayed at all.

A photograph was taken at the time, showing Julia in her coffin, and placed on the front of the monument. The body in the photo appears fresh - neither bloated nor dessicated, with no discoloration of the skin. The rotted and muddy appearance of the coffin, however, attests to the time spent in the ground. Around this photo are the words "Questa fotografia presa dopo 6 anni morta". A body that does not decay is called incorruptible, a condition which has been observed in several saints.

There have also been reports of an apparition of a woman in a white dress near Julia's grave.

• Incorrupt Bodies of Saints

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