As common thought, the month of May is the one most related to the cult of the Virgin Mary. It is noted that this association originated in the eighteenth century by the Society of Jesus to counter the wide spreading immorality of the students of Rome. Over times this practice spread to the Jesuit colleges then throughout all the Catholic Church.
Some sources attribute the birth of this devotional cult to Saint Philip Neri, in the 16th century. Actually, we owe him the tradition of adorning any images representing Holy Mary with flowers, including praising her with songs. More recently, in his encyclical of 1965, Paul VI indicates May as the month in which the thought dedicated to Holy Mary should be more heartful.
THE DEVOTION TO HOLY MARY IN VAL GARDENA? HOW WAS THE REPRESENTATION OF ANY WOODEN MADONNA INITIATED?
At the beginning the first artisans of Val Gardena loved sculpting wooden figures of religious nature. Among these creations, the figure of Holy Mary could not be missed. In fact, the artists of the valley, have always shown great passion for any workmanship representing the mother of Jesus. Thus, Holy Mary is one of the most widespread works. Once, it was common to see a statue of Holy Mary in most homes in the valley. Same in these days, it is an object selected by tourists as well who love to return to their homes with any selected devotional sculpture.



MANY NAMES FOR A UNIQUE DEVOTION
The Mother of Jesus got named with a selection of significant names. These were offered to Our Lady by the Holy Scriptures as well as from the veneration of devote communities. The latter are often linked to the locations of the apparitions or linked to iconography. Among the most famous and widespread devotional images we do count Our Lady of Lourdes and the one of Fatima. Both names refer to the location of the apparitions in the renowned small villages of France and Portugal. Referring to the image herein, this is Our Lady Rosa Mystica: she is represented with three roses, each with a different color.

Our Lady of Lourdes in niche
THE SWEETNES OF A MOTHER
The look of the eyes of the mother and the natural alinement of a child are forming a picture of sweetness opening the heart of anyone. A great heartful representation that reminds each of us when we were child’s and our mothers; this not limited to the month of May.



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