Monsignor Donald Sakano and the Chinese community of the
newly renovated Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral were thrilled
to uncrate a likeness of Our Lady of China created by our Custom Studio team.
Our Lady of China is the name that was given
to an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in China in 1900. During
the Boxer Rebellion, soldiers attacked a small community of Christians in Donglu, Hebei. The Virgin Mary appeared in white as a fiery horseman
believed to have been St. Michael chased them away. The village's pastor subsequently commissioned a
painting of Mary with Christ Child dressed in golden imperial robes. Donglu became a place of pilgrimage in
1924, and Pope Pius XI blessed and promulgated the image in 1928.
It is
this likeness of Our Lady of China upon which we based the Basilica's statue. Designer Maria Hubbard refined the print into a three-dimensional depiction for fundraising posters to engage the community in supporting and funding this inspiring sacred art.
It was a very meaningful project for our company,
too. Oskar Rabanser, the son of our late colleague and friend, master
woodcarver Edmund Rabanser, executed the carving based on this conceptual art.
He created a rough-scale plastiline clay model to ensure proper proportion and detail prior to beginning the woodcarving in his Ortesai, Italy, studio. We provided Monsignor and
Father Andrew Thi with frequent updates to ensure the statue was progressing exactly as desired. The finished Our Lady of China, sculpted in Linden wood, displays an antique finish with gold leaf accents. The delicate textural details
and patterns on the garments, typical in Chinese vestments, were all done by hand.
Upon seeing the statue for the first time, Monsignor Sakano
praised the workmanship: “We opened its crating and were amazed at its
delicacy. It is a stunning piece of religious art. Father Thi is very pleased, and we are eager to share with everybody. I am very excited about the statue of
Our Lady of China. It is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it will be a wonderful
source of spiritual devotion for many years, perhaps centuries, to come.”
The statue has been positioned on its pedestal in the
Basilica for public viewing and veneration, and it will be blessed on the
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord on Sunday, January 7th, at 12:45 PM.
Bishop John O’Hara, Auxiliary Bishop of New York, will celebrate the Mass.
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