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Marian Apparitions, Art and devotion that lead us to Christ.

The Coronation of the Virgin (c. 1492) The only known collaborative composition between Florentine Renaissance masters Sandro Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio

Marian Apparitions

Throughout history, the Virgin Mary has been said to appear in places marked by suffering, poverty, or deep longing—always quietly, always with purpose. These apparitions are understood as signs of a mother’s enduring care, revealing Mary’s closeness to her children in moments of need. From Guadalupe to Lourdes and Fatima, her presence feels consistent: she calls the faithful back to prayer, repentance, and renewed trust in God. The apparitions of the blessed Virgin Mary can become gentle guides, helping us pray more deeply, live more attentively, and love Christ more fully. They never ask to be the center. Like Mary herself, they simply point the way.

About Our Lady of Guadalupe Apparition

Encountering Mary Through Art

Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth

From heaven, Mary continues her maternal care for humanity as a powerful intercessor. She is honored under many titles: Queen of Heaven and Earth, the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, or Our lady of Fatima, and many more. As the Mother of Christ the King, she shares in His royal dignity, as a queen of service, obedience, and love. Crowned by grace, Mary’s queenship draws all hearts toward her Son. Her reign is one of mercy, prayer, and maternal care for heaven and earth.

Coronation of the Virgin by Gentile da Fabriano (1420) – Public Domain Catholic Painting

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary

“Your birth, O Blessed Virgin Mary, fills the whole world with a sweet consolation and a holy joy, because of you was born our Jesus, our God, who has taken away from us the curse in which we were plunged by the sin of our first parents, and filled us with all kinds of blessings.” ~ St. John Vianney

Chosen by God. Full of Grace

Mary is the Mother of Jesus, God made flesh, and therefore truly the Mother of God. She remained a virgin when the Angel Gabriel announced God’s will, conceiving not by human means but through the Holy Spirit. Her simple and complete “yes” (Fiat) to God makes her a clear example of faith and trust, always leading souls to her Son.

The Annunciation

The Annunciation “The biblical description of the Annunciation expresses, in a very laconic form, truths fundamentally important for understanding the mystery of the Incarnation. Six months after her cousin Elizabeth conceived John the Baptist, God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce to her that she would become the Mother of the “Son of the Most High” who would be King of Israel and whose name would be Jesus, which in Hebrew means “God saves”. In his description of the Annunciation, St. Luke calls Mary a virgin (parthenos in Greek); hence, Mary’s doubt expressed in the conversation with the angel concerned the very possibility of conceiving a son. In response, this teenage girl heard that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. At the end of the conversation, Mary gave her fiat: “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).”

(Excerpt from the Theology of the Annunciation: article written by Jarosław Kupczak OP).

The Nativity of Jesus

Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Mary Mother of God

Our Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is rightly honored as the Mother of God. She is the highest of all saints and a perfect model of faith, purity, and obedience to God. She represents true motherhood, loving intercession, and the grace God pours out through humble obedience.

Marian Devotions

Honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, through prayer, meditation, devotional acts, and the remembrance of her feasts draws us closer to her and opens our hearts to a deeper, more faithful relationship with Jesus. Through Mary’s gentle and loving presence in our lives, we learn how to say yes to God as she did when she said Yes (Fiat!) to be the mother of Jesus…with trust and humility. Our Blessed Mother teaches us to live with hope firmly rooted in faith, always leading us to Jesus.

—Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did. —St. Maximilian Kolbe

The Holy Rosary, a path to heaven.

Among all Marian devotions, the Holy Rosary is the most practiced worldwide. It is one of the most loved prayers of the Catholic Church, frequently described as a “ladder to heaven” and prayed daily by countless believers.

Our Lady of the Rosary with Sts. Dominic and Catherine of Siena

Marian Dogmas

Through the authority of His Church on earth, God has revealed to us four essential truths about Mary’s identity, otherwise known as “the Marian Dogmas.” To be in full communion with Christ—the Church reminds us— we must believe in each of these dogmas. In other words, they aren’t optional beliefs.

431 AD: Divine Motherhood (Theotokos) This is the oldest Marian dogma, defined at the Council of Ephesus. The Council declared Mary as Theotokos (Greek for “God-bearer” or “Mother of God”) to affirm the single, undivided divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. The statement about Mary’s divine motherhood is an integral part of the Christological dogma.

649 AD: Perpetual Virginity The belief that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ was a widely held belief from early on in the Church. The formula of “virginity before, in and after giving birth” was affirmed at the Lateran Synod held by Pope Martin I.

1854 AD: Immaculate Conception Pope Pius IX solemnly proclaimed this as an independent dogma in his Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus on December 8, 1854. The dogma states that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was preserved free from all stain of original sin by a singular grace of God. Four years later, this was seemingly confirmed by the Lourdes Apparitions, where Mary identified herself as the “Immaculate Conception” to St. Bernadette Soubirous.

1950 AD: The Assumption This was the most recent dogma to be infallibly defined. Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary in his Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus on November 1, 1950. It proclaims that “the immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”. 

Open Studio: A Marian Sacred Art Online Gallery

The Open Studio is an invitation to artists who feel drawn to produce Marian art. This space exists to gather, support, and present visual expressions that arise from love for Our Blessed Mother and a desire to honor her through reverent sacred art.—We aim to foster Marian spirituality through beauty and faith, encouraging artists to use their God Given Artistic Talents and share it with others.

“Don’t neglect your spiritual reading. Reading has made many saints”.— St. Josemaria Escriva

Santa Maria es un espacio en Español, que está dedicado a quienes desean contemplar el arte mariano, conocer más profundamente a Nuestra Señora, la Santa Virgen Maria, y descubrir caminos sencillos para cultivar una auténtica espiritualidad mariana. A través de la belleza, la tradición y la oración, esta página invita a acercarse a María con el corazón abierto, dejándose guiar por su ejemplo de fe, humildad y amor, para caminar con ella hacia su Hijo, Jesús.

──────────── ⚜ Ad Jesum per Mariam ⚜ ────────────