The New York Times has an article on the flooded area of Breezy Point, that later burnt down, and the Madonna that stayed there to comfort folks.
The statue is one of the only recognizable remnants of the swath of Breezy Point where more than 100 homes burned to the ground while a flood kept firefighters from reaching it. Since the waters withdrew early on Oct. 30, the image of the Breezy Point Madonna has reached the nation, indeed the world, through vivid news photos. Pilgrims have come to leave offerings: a bouquet of yellow roses, four quarters, a votive candle, a memorial card for the victims of Sept. 11, a written admonition that healing begins with acceptance...“It will be a symbol of the suffering,” Monsignor Curran said of the statue, “but also of our rise from the ashes. It will be a symbol of what we’ve been through but also of our resurrection. It will be a reminder that for all the property we lost, God never left.”
-------------------------
these madonnas are quite common in working class catholic areas. We had ours in the back yard, where we could see it when we sat out in the evening after supper, but our neighbor had one in the front of his garden facing the street....
He was a retired coal miner, and his five suns were mechanics or coal miners....
these madonnas are quite common in working class catholic areas. We had ours in the back yard, where we could see it when we sat out in the evening after supper, but our neighbor had one in the front of his garden facing the street....
He was a retired coal miner, and his five suns were mechanics or coal miners....
No comments:
Post a Comment