4.25x2.75" Holy Card
Our Lady of Victory was the choice of our Holy Card of the Month club for January 2022! Victorious! This 1890s holy card depicts a statue of Our Lady of Victory from the church of the same name in Paris.
The title was first used for Mary in 1571 after the naval battle of Lepanto when Christian naval forces defeated a larger Turkish fleet. It was a crucial victory for Christendom, as the Ottomans were set to control the Mediterranean and make more incursions into Europe. It marked a shift in power from the East to the West, which has continued to this day. The Catholics gave credit to God for the Victory, through the intercession of Our Lady, whom they maned Our Lady of Victory.
The church of Our Lady of Victory in Paris, pictured at the left, was built in 1629 by King Louis XIII in thanksgiving for favors granted him by the Blessed Mother.
St Therese and her family had a lot of connection to Our Lady of Victory Church. Her dad called it, "a little Heaven on Earth." One time when Therese was very sick, he had them offer a novena of Masses for her recovery. She got well during the novena! The statue in the church is the one that Therese prayed before while asking Mary to grant her the victory of early admittance into the Carmel. (source: www.thereseoflisieux.org)
We can think of Mary's title Our Lady of Victory to help hold up our confidence, our con fidelis, in her help while we fly to her protection! On the back of the card is an old prayer to Mary as Our Lady of Victory.
You might be interested in fine art prints of this image at https://www.etsy.com/listing/832696996/our-lady-of-victory-85x11-or-11x14-based
Thank you for your interest.
Sue and John
Our Lady of Victory,
we have unshaken confidence in your
influence with your Son, our Lord,
Jesus Christ. Humbly we ask your
intercession for all of us associated under
your title, Our Lady of Victory. We beg
your powerful assistance also for our own personal needs.
[Mention your request here…]
In your maternal kindness please ask
Jesus to forgive all our sins and failings,
and to secure His blessings for us and for
all the works of charity dedicated to your
name. We implore you to obtain for us the
grace of sharing Christ’s victory and
yours, forever in the life that knows no
ending. May we join you there to praise
forever the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, one God, for all the ages to come. Amen.
Our Lady of Victory is a title of Mary instituted in 1571 after the pivotal Battle of Lepanto. Original card, Bouasse-Lebel, Paris, c. 1890.
Image Restoration © www.CatholicArtAndJewelry.com