Our Lady of Lourdes with Infant Icon Print - NICU Version

This image depicts Our Lady of Lourdes holding an infant carefully and lovingly to her bosom, a blue sash-symbol of comfort and solace-adorning the infant she holds, and surrounded completely with roses.

The image was created for a new NICU unity at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield. I pray that this icon assures all families with little ones of the presence and support of Mary and her Son.

Symbols in the Icon:

• Two gold roses are placed at her feet. When Mary appeared to Bernadette, she had two gold roses at her feet. These gold roses symbolize Mary’s glory, radiance, and joy.
• Mary holds a gold rosary, serving as a reminder to pray and meditate on the life of her son.
• The gold crown signifies that she is the Queen of heaven and earth.
• The blue sash symbolizes her purity, divinity, and divine motherhood. It reminds the faithful of her role as a protective and compassionate mother to all of humanity.

The Story of this Icon:

Allow me to share the story of this icon. I had finished painting Our Lady holding and the infant she was holding. However, something felt missing. I felt a nudge to paint roses cascading from her hands and around the infant, almost as if she were gathering our prayers for the little one.

My artist brain suggested that I make sure the number of roses was uneven, so I counted them. To my surprise, there were 10, just like a decade of the rosary. So, I added one red rose, symbolizing the Our Father. White roses symbolize the joys and purity of the Virgin Mary, while red roses represent the passion of Jesus Christ and Mary’s participation in his suffering. All of this happened on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Remember that it’s said that when we pray a rosary, we’re placing roses in Our Lady’s crown.

I believed I had completed the icon and brought it downstairs to display on an easel for viewing, as I am accustomed to do. The spirit’s guidance suggested that something was amiss. I decided to return it upstairs. Initially, I had painted various colors of roses surrounding Our Lady. I then decided to paint them all white, representing the Hail Marys we pray during the rosary. Additionally, I added a few red roses to symbolize our fathers.

While repainting the roses, a friend texted me to inform me that she had seen the image I was working on on social media (where I often share updates and my work). She inquired about the availability of copies of this icon on my website. She was deeply drawn to the image. I explained the commission and the intended placement of the icon. She then shared her story of spending countless days and nights in the NICU with her own daughter, nearly losing her at one point. She expressed how comforting this image would have been for her. I found her story truly remarkable.

Throughout the creation of this icon, it has been my prayer that it would draw people to Our Lady and her son, providing them with comfort in knowing that they are not alone in the room.

If one were to complete all the mysteries of the rosary The Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, they would have prayed 24 Our Fathers and 212 Hail Marys. So in the end I surrounded Our Lady with 212 white roses and 24 red roses.

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