Our Lady of Maryknoll

A BEAUTIFUL, larger than life-size, hand-carved, painted, gilded, wood statue of Our Lady of Maryknoll—donated though the generosity of Father Jim Huvane—is in absolutely the wrong place. Shunted to one corner of the rotunda, Our Lady must bear the indignities of not only being behind a pillar, but often have two or more signs in front of her announcing wakes, funerals, visiting groups or speakers or simply directing visitors to the Ladies' Room. Even two wall cherubs cannot justify, much less beautify, this spot.

The obvious place for such a work of art and object of devotion—not to mention symbol of Maryknoll—is in the Spellman Room, in front of the curtain and right under the existing spotlight. She would then dominate the entire room while having the backdrop and prominence she deserves. Our Lady of Maryknoll would greet people as they entered our chapels. By placing the wooden pedestal on casters, the statue could be rolled behind the curtain whenever the room is filled with photos or other exhibits, or even placed to the side for the rare occasion when we open the curtain to expand attendance at Mass.

In addition, this would create a nice "trifecta" of BVM statues as you enter the main door and stand in the middle of the rotunda: in front of you, the white marble statue of Our Lady of Grace would be in her lighted niche; to the left at the end of the Council corridor a natural, stained wood statue of Our Lady would balance OLOM in the Spellman room on the right.

Fr. Clyde Phillips, out-going Regional Superior, Fr. John Kaserow, liturgy coordinator, Fr. Ernie Lukaschek, pastoral coordinator, and Ms. Nancy Kleppel, Center coordinator, all agree that would be a better spot for the statue. But after several months, there she still stands shunted to the side in the corner of the rotunda.

You don't need a course in Fung Shui to know Our Lady of Maryknoll should be moved but at this point, no one in the Region—especially me—has the stomach for another petition.