American Pope, American Lady: The story behind Our Lady of the Prairie

Our Lady of the Prairie by Damien Walker

American Pope, American Lady: The Story Behind Our Lady of the Prairie

In 2022, Bishop Chad Zielinski of the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota, sought to reconsecrate his diocese to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He turned to New Zealand artist Damien Walker, known for weaving deep theology with cultural context, to create a new image: Our Lady of the Prairie.

Walker immersed himself in the land and history of southern Minnesota, drawing on its rivers, cathedrals, Indigenous traditions, and rural roots. The result is a luminous Marian icon Mary clothed in white, Christ holding the Gospel adorned with Dakota beadwork, the flow of grace symbolized in rivers, canoes, and fish a vision that connects the prairie to the universal Church.

Since its unveiling and blessing at the headwaters of the Minnesota River, Our Lady of the Prairie has become a powerful sign of renewal, inspiring devotion across denominational lines. As Walker himself says, “This is an image for the whole of America calling everyone to Mary, and through her, to Christ.”

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/american-pope-american-lady-the-story Read the full story at The Pillar.