A Korean image of Our Lady in the Vatican Gardens

Blessed on the feast day of St Andrew Kim in the presence of Korean bishops on an ad limina visit. The Virgin wears a hanbok, the traditional Korean dress, and is depicted as Our Lady of Peace. ‘Intercede for reconciliation on the Korean peninsula’.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - A new mosaic of Mary Queen of Peace, holding the Child Jesus while wearing a hanbok - the traditional Korean dress - has been standing in the Vatican Gardens for a few days. The blessing ceremony of the mosaic of Our Lady of Korea took place 20 September, on the feast of St Andrew Kim and other Korean martyrs.

It was presided over by Card. Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President of the Commission of the Vatican City State, presided over the ceremony. The blessing ceremony was attended by more than 200 people, including Cardinal Lazarus You Heung sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, and the Korean bishops who were in Rome these days for their ad limina visit, the periodic visit that the world's bishops make to the Vatican every five years.

It was Card. You Heung sik, former bishop of Daejeon and the first Korean to lead a Vatican department, who asked Pope Francis in May 2023 for permission to place a Korean statue of Our Lady in the Vatican Gardens, which contain images of the Virgin Mary from all over the world. The pontiff responded immediately: ‘It is a good idea’.

The artist Shim Soonhwa inziailmente painted the image on a canvas that was donated to the dicastery for the Clergy; from here the mosaic was made, produced in Korea and completed with marble moulding in Carrara, Italy.

The hanbok worn by the Madonna is red and turquoise green, where red represents motherhood and turquoise represents peace. The Infant Jesus is also depicted in the traditional Korean clothing of young children. ‘In the course of my work,’ said the artist, ’I remembered and prayed for those around the world who suffer from war and asked the Mother to bring them peace.

The mosaic was placed in the Bastione Maestro of the Vatican Gardens, where there are already other Marian images from 11 countries around the world, including the Philippines, Colombia and Uruguay.

Blessing the work, Card. Fernando Vérgez Alzaga said: ‘All those who pass in front of the image of Our Lady of Korea will remember Korea and pray that peace in the Korean Peninsula may be achieved through the intercession of Our Lady of Peace’.

For his part, the president of the Korean Bishops' Conference, Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon of Suwon, after thanking Card. Lazarus You Heung sik for promoting the initiative, added: ‘I firmly believe that the movement for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula will be rapidly accelerated by the blessing of the mosaic of Our Lady of Korea’. He also asked the Cardinal to make every effort so that the Korean faithful can visit this place and pray to Our Lady here.

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