Around the world, Catholics of every culture have adopted Mary as their mother. She may be depicted in different clothes or be called different names, but in every place that she’s loved one thing remains the same: her way of bringing believers closer to Christ and one another.
The womb of St. Mary
Among the yellow and orange flowers that line Merita McCormack’s driveway is a flag of Our Lady holding baby Jesus. Our Lady of Good Counsel, as she’s known, is the patroness of Albania, McCormack’s home country.
The story goes that a church in Scutari, Albania featured a fresco of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The church was nearly destroyed by the invading Turks in the 15th century, but the wall with the fresco remained. The fresco, however, disappeared, and in 1467 on the feast of St. Mark, it reappeared in a church in Genazzano, Italy.
When McCormack was growing up in Albania, the Communist government banned the practice of all religions. But love for Mary lived on. “When you were with your close family and friends, people would say, ‘We are around the womb of St. Mary,’ ” said McCormack, a parishioner of St. John the Apostle Church in Leesburg. “They didn’t say the word ‘Christ,’ but who is in the womb of St. Mary?”
In her adulthood, McCormack’s husband and his Irish family encouraged devotion to Mary. “My mother and father-in-law had prayed to Our Lady for a spouse and at the end of the novena, they met. He proposed to her in front of a replica of a Marian shrine, and then they got married at a Marian church,” she said. But it wasn’t until a family member was facing a health crisis that McCormack began to pray to Mary regularly.
“Someone pointed out (the hospital) chapel nearby and basically directed me to go and pray there,” she said. “I knelt and I saw bunches of colorful rosaries and a brochure about how to pray the rosary so I grabbed one and I started praying. Then I felt at peace.
“Returning back to the hospital room I made a promise — ‘I’m going to pray this for the rest of my life and I want to grow closer to you and I would beg you to help.’ The next morning we found out we had some very good news, and I’ve tried to keep that promise,” she said.
Mary, the ideal woman
As he trekked through the Spanish countryside, Steve Kim prayed to Our Lady that he would make it all the way to his final destination: Santiago de Compostela. “Anything that happened, I prayed, ‘St. Mary, help me.’ I wanted to finish this 600 kilometers.” He breathed a sigh of relief when his pilgrimage on the Camino was complete. “It deepened my faith in St. Mary and Jesus Christ. It was very difficult but an unforgettable part of my life,” said Kim, a parishioner of St. Paul Chung Church in Fairfax.
Kim, who converted to Catholicism in his native country of Korea, believes Our Lady is seen as the ideal woman among Korean Catholics. “The image of St. Mary is very deeply rooted in the traditional image of Korean ladies — hardworking, very faithful, loyal to their family,” he said. “That is a typical image that most Catholic churchgoers have about St. Mary.”
Each May, St. Paul Chung celebrates Mary with an outdoor Mass. “(At the parish) there’s a small garden with a statue, and in front of that beautiful statue of Mary we have a big prayer day,” said Kim. “It’s a memorable moment because in May there’s nice weather, and everybody prepares their prayers and flowers.”
For 25 years, Kim has been a dedicated foot soldier for Our Lady as a member of the Legion of Mary, a lay ministry that combines service to the church and spirituality. Thanks in part to his recruiting efforts, the parish has 350 legionaries. “It’s a very good way to deepen your faith. It’s very organized so you cannot be lazy,” he said. “I’ve received a lot of blessings as a member of the Legion of Mary.”
Counting on Guadalupe
As a little girl, Cristina Diaz and her family said a prayer in front of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe every time they went to Mass. The devotion originated in 1531 when Our Lady appeared to St. Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico, and later her image miraculously appeared on his cloak. Diaz, who moved from El Salvador to the United States as an infant, spent much of her childhood in California surrounded by a Mexican community that loved Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling, her home parish, has a huge celebration each year on the Dec. 12 feast day. “(For evening Mass), we put her image on the altar and decorate it,” she said. “The church is packed, and people come dressed in traditional dresses from their countries. After Mass, we have a big gathering in Atonement Hall where the mariachis come and there’s a lot of singing and food.”
Praying to Mary now gives Diaz the same feeling she had praying to Mary as a child. “She is that safe space for me,” said Diaz. “Whenever I find myself in a difficult situation or just needing extra intercession, I go to her. I have this type of love that I cannot explain. I can count on her and she’ll always be there, and she listens with tenderness and with love. She answers your prayers.”
Three years ago, Diaz prayed to Mary for a husband, a Joseph to walk with her on the journey to heaven. This summer, she and her husband married at Christ the Redeemer. She’s still picking out a spot to display an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in their new home.
Mary, model for aspiring priests
Seminarians share how Mary has inspired them.
Andrew Lewandowski
Mary has been instrumental in my path to conversion, and to this path toward the priesthood. She is a very big part of my formation to the priesthood. The Lord has given me his mother as my path toward him and to conform me to him in the priesthood. One of the great advantages of being a diocesan priest is that we get to discover and choose our own spiritual charism — my time with the (religious order) Marians of the Immaculate Conception has cemented in me a Marian spiritual charism. Thus, I owe it to Christ to share and promote a greater devotion and love for his mother whenever called on to do so.
Ryan Malanga
The Blessed Mother has played a role in my discernment because she has played an integral role in my life. I pray the rosary daily, and I think through that familiar, repetitive prayer, I came to know her as an ordinary part of my daily life. As a result, she has been along with me interceding for me every step of the way.
Alex Solsma
I try to imitate the unwavering commitment and fidelity Mary had to God’s plan. The church’s various Marian devotions, particularly Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Fatima, help me grow in greater appreciation and knowledge of the important maternal role she still has in guiding our church today.
Maraist can be reached at [email protected] or X (formerly Twitter) @zoeymaraistACH.
