When Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and his wife MK visited Pope Leo XIV in Rome in mid-November, the first couple brought along some Illinois-themed “good tidings” for the Chicago-born pontiff.

There was an Abraham Lincoln biography and a four-pack of craft beer called “Da Pope” from a North Side brewery.

But there was also a piece of art made by Yesenia Diaz, a woman incarcerated in the Logan Correctional Center. The Pilsen native, who was convicted of murder, decided last summer to enter her artwork in a contest that MK Pritzker organized for people housed in Illinois prisons.

Diaz’s piece caught Pritzker’s eye — enough that the governor’s wife decided it was worthy to present to the pope, who since his May election as pontiff has prioritized the rights of prisoners. A snippet of video

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