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Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On the baptismal side of the nave is a stone shrine which contains a statue of Mary. The statue is a Spanish-style seated figure enthroned on a two-foot high stone pedestal. It was sculpted and painted by a Brooklyn artist from copious pictorial research provided by Fr. Boccaccio and Ed Spires. The stone covering Mary's pedestal and the shrine's floor was imported directly from the Holy Land. |
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Crown & Angels
Mary's halo makes direct reference to the Book of Revelation (12:1) ". . . and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." Mounted on the cornice above her head are two Spanish angels purchased in Barcelona. They hold a gold-leaf banner bearing the supplication, “ Mater Dei Ora Pro Nobis” translated “Mother of God Pray for Us.” |
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Art Panels
Mary is flanked by six art panels, alluding to key moments in her life (Annunciation, Visitation, etc.). These panels were rendered by Westport artist Elizabeth Hartstein (who also painted Sts. Candidus and Eugenius) in a manner to resemble Spanish glazed tiles. |
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Authentic Frame Reproductions
The panel frames were cast in hydrastone by Ed Spires from a mold taken from an actual 13th-century Spanish frame. Each frame was dyed to match the shrine's wall tile which was imported from Mexico. |
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