Installation of the Mary, Mother of Fairest Love statue by Fairest Love Family Project / Facebook
Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez celebrated Mass June 26 for the enthronement of a new statue of Mary, Mother of Fairest Love at St. Louise de Marillac Church in Covina, California.
The statue stands about 7 feet tall, according to a July 14 article from Angelus News, and it was unveiled on the feast day of St. Josemaría Escrivá. St. Josemaría, who founded Opus Dei, was devoted to Mary under the title of “Mother of Fairest Love.” This title originates from the book of Sirach.
In his homily, shown in the Mass livestream, Archbishop Gomez spoke of the long road to this statue’s completion. The archbishop, who was a priest of Opus Dei before being ordained to the episcopate, told the faithful that St. Josemaría expressed the desire to have a shrine to Mary, Mother of Fairest Love in 1955, which the archbishop joked was “a couple of years ago.”
Father Richard Sunwoo, pastor of St. Louise de Marillac, says that Opus Dei has helped him become a better priest, according to Angelus News, and he hopes that the new statue will help parishioners’ faith.
More than 700 people attended the Mass, according to Angelus News. Some of the attendees were affiliated with Opus Dei, like Marie Hellrich, who has been a member for 20 years.
“Mary is close to our family because she is closest to Jesus,” she told Angelus News. “She is our guiding light and our example and we ask for her intercession.”
James Chen, a parishioner at St. Timothy Church in Laguna Niguel, was in awe of the statue’s beauty.
“I feel like I’ve seen the mother of Christ,” he told Angelus News. “I can feel her presence. The artist must have poured out his love for Christ into this statue.”
Cody Swanson, an American artist who is based in Italy, carved the statue.
“My inspiration was to create a work that invites you to prayer,” Swanson said, according to Angelus News.
The celebration also included a consecration for families to Mary, Mother of Fairest Love.
“We are Mary’s children and Jesus calls us to love her as he loves her,” Archbishop Gomez said during his homily. “With all our heart and soul. So, tonight we will consecrate ourselves and our families to Mary; we make our lives a gift of love to her.”
