Bishop Chad Zielinski blesses the sacred art of the new patroness of the diocese, Our Lady of the Prairie. The unveiling and the blessing took place on Saturday, May 31, (the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) at the 11:00 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm. Also pictured is Deacon Rick Christiansen and altar server Solomon Pekrul of New Ulm.
The unveiling of Our Lady of the Prairie on May 31, 2025
That They May have Life
by Bishop Chad W. Zielinski
In his Summa Theologica (Summary of Theology), Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274), an Italian philosopher and theologian, called God “the unmoved mover.” It is God who initiates and is always first to reach out with creative and restrained love, as he did in the Garden of Eden.
During our 27-week preparation leading up to the Diocese of New Ulm’s Pilgrimage of Hope (June 22-29, 2025), Leonard Gutierrez, director of the diocesan Office of Evangelization, has hosted a weekly podcast titled “Behold Your Mother,” www.dnu.org/beholdyourmother.
During these podcasts, Leonard has led us on a journey, reflecting on the different titles of Mary and drawing us deeper into an understanding of her Maternal love for us. Each podcast reflects on a section of Saint John Paul II’s document, “Mother of the Redeemer.” Saint John Paul II writes, “For it must be recognized that before anyone else it was God himself, the Eternal Father, who entrusted himself to the Virgin of Nazareth, giving her his own Son in the mystery of the Incarnation.” (Redemptoris Mater #39)
It is this impetus of God the Father’s love for humanity that Mary encounters with God’s messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, at the Annunciation. It is through prevenient grace, a divine grace poured forth at her Immaculate Conception, that Mary fully surrenders and opens herself as a handmaid of the Lord, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” She encounters the Holy Spirit in a profoundly redemptive and transformative way. Her “Yes” immediately changes the course of salvation history.
By divine design, the Holy Spirit stirs her into action. Mary is on the move! It is Mary’s choice to run forth with Christ. The Holy Spirit orders this movement. It is a Holy Order, a new world order, a new way of living and relating to God and one another. Her surrender allows the Holy Spirit to guide and shape her as the New Eve. Her Immaculate Heart desires to move in haste to claim us. She, as Mediatrix, carries the Redeemer of the world. Together, she and her Son claim the mission that Father has given to the Son. She says, “You are mine!” Brothers and sisters in Christ. In haste, this same Mary has come to the Diocese of New Ulm as Our Lady of the Prairie. She is declaring today that all of us are children of God in the diocese. The surrounding prairies are being claimed by the “Mother of Our Lord.” She is making a bold statement today: “You are mine.”
As one gazes at the beautiful image of Our Lady of the Prairie, there is a profound depth. In the weeks, months, and years to come, we will discover something new each time we gaze upon her, which is filled with inexhaustible meaning. This depth invites us to delve deeper into our faith and the role of Mary in our salvation history, sparking our curiosity and eagerness to explore the profound layers of this image.
The artist of the painting, Damien Walker, founder of The Studio of Saint Philomena in New Zealand, spent numerous hours in fasting, prayer, and reflection during the creation of the image of Our Lady of the Prairie, a process that took roughly seven months.
I am deeply grateful to Damien for his insightful spiritual reflection on the symbols in the painting and the profound meaning behind the entire piece. His contribution has enriched our understanding and deepened our spiritual journey.