Infant of Prague, Mary, and Liturgical Colors

[Miserissima]

I was looking at the liturgical colors for 2008 and decided to start sewing capes for my outdoor statue of Mary, who is holding the Infant Jesus – much like one would see on a “pilgrim virgin.”

(I realy wanted to use some cloths to put under the statue, but then the statue got caulked to the base so that nixed that idea.)

So far, I’ve only done violet for lent and a blue one is in progress.

I was just wondering: since Mary isn’t Jesus, is it appropriate to put liturgical colors on her? After all, she is holding Jesus and the colors are really for him.

If the statue was in an oratory, the colors on the shrine table would usualy change too, no? So the closest thing I can do is a cape.

I’d like to go by the general seasons like people dress the Infant of Prague…but for Ordinary time I would keep Mary in blue. Since its a private devotion, do you think it would be okay?

 

[Miserissima]

::echo::

 

[MarieVeronica]

Hmmm. Not sure about this. I know that white vestments… are used for Feasts of Our Lady.

Why don’t you “theme” your capes, to coincide with the special feasts of Mary, instead. Like… you could make her a white cape… for feasts of Our Lady of Lourdes, Fatima. A blue cape for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe… a black cape for Our Lady of Sorrows… a brown cape for Our Lady of Mount Carmel… and so on.

Just a thought.

 

[Miserissima]

:hug1:
Thank you, MarieVeronica! Awesome ideas!

 

[Della]

Unless your outdoor statue is well protected from the elements, cloth capes might not be all that practical, although I can see nothing wrong with making capes of any color you might wish since statues in gardens are not liturgical objects.

If your statue is monochromatic why not paint it the colors you’d like–the clothes, the flesh tones and all? I’d make special clothing for indoor statues, but would be leery about ruining anything that will go outside, if you see what I mean.

 

[Conservative]

I have to go with Della’s question - is the statue covered from the elements? If not, why are you considering fabric outdoors? Here are some suggestions:

1. If fabric is an option, why must they be liturgical colors on Our Lady? How about basic white for Our Lady with trim (border of her robe) to go with the liturgical colors you have Jesus dressed in. Suggestion: Use the same white robe with velcro attachments on the borders of her robe - and just velcro attach to various colored border strips or bands in liturgical colors - instead of having to sew it. (Velcro borders would have to be complete to keep borders cleanly on.)
2. Are you using entire robe - or just cape? If Our Lady’s statue is all white, try using capes only that coordinate with Baby Jesus’ liturgical garb.
3. I have an all-white statue outside. I don’t use colors. You could keep Our Lady all white and change colors of pottery/flowers in front of her - again to coordinate with liturgical colors on Jesus.

Our Lord will bless you - and Our Lady will intercede for you for wanting to so adorn her.

 

[Miserissima]

The outdoor statue is covered from the elements, and is already painted. I am putting the finishing touches on the outdoor box as we speak (type?)

I am not doing a whole dress, just a cape for the statue. Thanks for the great ideas!

Many times at various shrines there will be a color that is on the mantel below Her statue, shrine table, altar, or even a hanging cloth behind Our Lady to denote the season.

I want to kep the liturgical colors near/on the shrine. I can’t put the colors on the pedstal anymore because it’s been caulked down (warped bottom and kept rocking).

Suggestion: Use the same white robe with velcro attachments on the borders of her robe - and just velcro attach to various colored border strips or bands in liturgical colors - instead of having to sew it.

I like that idea! So far, I have just put the “tie” kind around the neck, since there is no place to put a veil on the statue.

The indoor statue is taller than the outdoor statue, so I used it to measure the shrine box for outside, but you can see the cape well here::



Here’s another pic of the ststue while I finish the outdoor box:



Oh, I forgot to add – I am making a simple tulle cape that matches the teal of her painted gown, to tone down the glitter little.

 

[MarieVeronica]

Miserissima… oh, you’ve done such lovely work on the cape for your statue! Surely, a cape fit for our Queen. God bless!

P.S. I so admire people who can sew! What a gift!

 

[Della]

Now that I see the statue, I understand making capes for it. The one in the picture is lovely.

Do you sew capes to sell and altar clothes, etc.? If not, you might consider it. Your work is definitely professional level.

 

[Miserissima]

MarieVeronica and Della, your comments are so dear to me! But I must confess to two things:

First confession: you guys give me too much credit for the whole idea. The statue is covered in irridescent glitter everywhere…from what you can see on the crown, think 50x more on the clothes. So I tried to tone it down with a quick rinse, and then started to outdoor poly urethane (or whatever they spray on fiberglass) to matte the sparkle down a bit. It worked… JUST a bit. It also made it outdoor friendly.

See, the statue is a gift and as well as a very dear devotion to me, so I very well couldn’t put it in a closet and bring it out at holiday times! (Not that that thought has crossed my mind or anything !) So I needed a compromise that it wouldn’t look…ostentations but I could still do Our Lady some justice.

That’s where the capes idea came from…a compromise to tone down the color and to give Her due honor.

Red for the Martyrs, purple and pink for Lent and Advent seasons, and then the teal tulle one for ordinary time – and perhaps a white one for the Feasts of Mary. The white one will probably be just a cut piece of lace or a mantilla from the thrift shop.

Second confession: I can’t get parts for my old sewing machine anymore, so for the purple cape I only hand sewed the drawstring neck, hemstitched it the edging, and used fusable web (or hot glue and an iron!) for the lace edging. I am such a cheater! So that WAY too much credit you’re giving me here! I feel so humbled.

But for the red velvet cape, I definately took it to a tailor today who is going to do it for $15.00 - $20.00. I have a cotton square that I could just sew lace onto, but since Mary is the Queen of Martyrs, she deserves something very special, especially for the Feast of the Vietnamese Martyrs on November 24 – so red velvet and lace will be very appropriate.

Oh! I almost forgot: I have modified and will incorporate Conservative’s Velcro idea into some of the capes, especially to those that look “bunchy” at the neck. I will sew little sticky Velcro squares onto the “shoulders” of the fabric and hot glue the other velcro parts to Her shoulders. This way, the hfabric will stay, and the glue will keep the Velcro in place until I decide to peel it off of the statue, if necessary.
Way to go, guys! I knew I came to the right place! :extrahappy:

 

[Conservative]

Okay, Miserissima -
Now that you have Our Lady of Lavang’s vestments planned, do you want to tell us something about her? I’d never heard of the title or seen this face - lovely - and I think you have the head tilted in different locations?

(Word to the wise - you don’t have to downplay the glitter - just don’t add additional. If this title of Our Lady has been made that way, just leave it. You can also use sheer fabrics for the capes. My Mom used to make them for our Infant of Prague (indoors) - one was solid color with a gold netting sewn over it. Enjoy - and Our Lady bless you.

 

[MarieVeronica]

Well, the cape is lovely… even if you don’t feel you deserve the credit. You do have a gift of creativity… which is, of course… a gift from God. I love how you’re using your gift. To honor Our Lady. I’m sure God is smiling on you, for the efforts. God bless.

 

[Miserissima]

Okay, Miserissima -
Now that you have Our Lady of Lavang’s vestments planned, do you want to tell us something about her? I’d never heard of the title or seen this face - lovely - and I think you have the head tilted in different locations?

I didn’t move the head, just the camera angle is different. Odd that I see the difference too, no?

Here is a picture of the actual shrine in Vietnam, under the Banyan tree:


From Wiki:

Our Lady of La Vang (In Vietnamese: Duc Me La Vang)
The tradition of Our Lady of La Vang dates back to the time when Catholics were executed in Vietnam. Many people sought refuge in the rain forest of La Vang, and many became very ill. They were praying when a lady appeared, wearing the traditional Vietnamese áo dài dress and holding a child in her arms, with two angels beside her…They said that Our Lady comforted them and told them to boil leaves from the [nearby banyan] trees for medicine to cure the ill.

Though there is no official Vatican recognition of this event as a Marian apparition, on June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II publicly recognized the importance of Our Lady of La Vang and expressed desire to rebuild the La Vang Basilica in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the first vision.

There were great and terrible persecutions going on in Vietnam from approximately 1798-1801.

1. Here is a very good outline of the history in a link that can explain it better than I can: donghanh.org/dongbac/nj/LV_history.html
2. and more on the current history toward the end of the article here: members.chello.nl/~l.de.bondt/LaVang.htm

In 1886, after the persecution had officially ended, Bishop Gaspar ordered a church to be built in honor of the Lady of Lavang…In 1928, a larger church was built…This church was destroyed in the summer of 1972 during the Vietnam war.

It is important to know that Vietnam is still a Communist country, and although tourism is encouraged, pilgrimages are not.

More on John Paul II’s intervention is outlined in a short article from L’Osservatore Romano:

— in the Angelus of Sunday, 19 June 1988, in the list of the most significant Marian shrines he included La Vang, recalling at the same time the 117 Martyrs of Viet Nam who were canonized that same morning, and wishing that the shrine become a symbol of the Church’s new vitality and of national reconciliation, without religious distinction;

— in the General Audience of Wednesday, 26 October 1994, the Holy Father asked the priests and religious gathered in Rome to study the pastoral needs of the Vietnamese diaspora, to deepen their faith and to cherish the teaching of the Church with a view to preparing the celebration of the bicentenary of La Vang;

See article for more.

On June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II in the canonized the 117 Vietnamese martyrs. Although I don’t usually go to AmericanCatholic.org, they have a great write-up about the and St. Andrew Dung-Lac. It notes that “The last of the martyrs were 17 laypersons, one of them a 9-year-old, executed in 1862. That year a treaty with France guaranteed religious freedom to Catholics, but it did not stop all persecution.”

Here you can read (in English on the left) the short biographies of each saint. Have Kleenex on hand.

This link explains that, “The tortures these individuals underwent were among the worst in the history of Christian martyrdom. The means included cutting off limbs joint by joint, ripping living bodies with red hot tongs, and use of drugs to enslave the minds of the victims. Christians at the time were branded on the face with the words “ta dao” and families and villages which subscribed to Christianity were obliterated.”

Joyfully, here is a picture of the shrine recently opened at the National Basilica in D.C. St. Andrew Dun Lac and the 117 Vietnamese martyrs are pictured on the walls around Our Lady. I missed going to the first Mass in that oratory, but saw the HUGE procession from outside.

Wow…didn’t realize I had so much to say! Sorry!