Mater Ecclesiae – St. Peter’s Square Mosaic Holy Card

Laminated pack: contains 25 cards.Paper pack: contains 50 cards. Share your faith with this beautiful holy card! The 2.5″x4.25″ holy card features a stunning image of Mater Ecclesiae – St. Peter’s Square Mosaic with a quote on the back. In 1980, a group of university students were in an audience with the St. Pope John Paul II and pointed out that among all the holy images in the square, there were none of Our Lady. Seeing that the square was not complete without her, work was already underway to correct this. The project took on the additional weight of gratitude, after the pope was shot in 1981; he credited the Holy Mother with saving his life. Thus, he chose to depict her as the Mother of the Church because of her closeness to her children, indeed the whole church, in times of adversity. By winter of the same year, the mosaic was completed, in place of where a window once stood. Underneath the Madonna and child is the coat of arms of Pope St. John Paul II and his motto Totus Tuus (totally thine). The image is based on Our Lady of the Column, Mother of the Church, which stands above a side altar inside St. Peters Basilica. Text:Under your mantle,O Mother of the Church,O Model of all Christians,your children on earth seek yourintercession and implore your mercy.Inspire your sons, the clergy–all deacons, priests, bishops,cardinals, patriarchs, and our Holy Father–to obey your Son and spread His Gospelwith firm conviction, loyalty to truth,and unfailing love above all things. Guide your children, the lay faithful,as they carry the light of Christto the ends of the Earth: the great halls,the small places, wherever life is lives. O Mother of Saints,O Refuge of Sinners,lead us home at last to yourChurch Triumphant where youreign as Queen of Angelsand Queen of Heaven. Amen. IMPRIMATUR: +Most Reverend Jeffrey M. Monforton,Bishop of Steubenville ( HC-4094 )