"When I learned that a Polish Cardinal was to be the Pope, I decided to do his portrait. I did not meet Pope John Paul II in Poland, but working on his portrait seemed like doing someone in the family because his face is so typically Polish." – Monique said in her cover story in Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot, 1979.

It took her six months to complete this photo-realistic 6 by 4 foot portrait. The stole of the Pope was woven with golden thread. To achieve the soft blends of white on his robe, Monique used about seventy shades of white, which she achieved by mixing black, brown and blue powder in different proportions and dyeing the threads anywhere from one minute to one hour.

When she completed the portrait, she went to the Cardinal's Mansion in Chicago and simply asked if she could leave the portrait there during the Pope's visit. The Cardinal's office was surprised, but helpful when they saw the petite 26 year-old artist holding the superb likeness of the Pontiff. They placed the portrait in the sacristy of the Five Holy Martyrs church where the Pope held the mass. "Thousands of devout Catholics are yearning for just a glance of the Pope. However Monique just wants to make sure the Pope sees 'her finest work'" - Dearborn Heights Leader newspaper, Oct. 4, 1979. Monique watched the Pope while he was preparing for the mass and her heart stopped when he looked at her artwork. The Chicago Sun-Times on Oct. 1, 1979, wrote: "If you are in the market for a larger than life-size tapestry of Pope John Paul II, Monique would like to hear from you. It will cost you $10,000." The portrait was purchased by the Polish Women Alliance. Channel 2 TV followed Monique from Detroit until the end of the mass in Chicago. They received an Emmy Award for the story about the Polish artist meeting the Pope.