Happy September! Here's something free for you!
It's no secret I connect to my faith through creativity! I love learning about different Saints, Marian Titles, or devotions, and then creating something to match. This month, I've created images for seven of the September Titles of Mary and they're here for you to download.
- Our Lady of the Olives (9/1): Olive Branch
- Our Lady of the Woods (9/5): Forest
- Nativity of Mary (9/8): Cupcake
- Holy Name of Mary (9/12): Crown
- Our Lady of Sorrows (9/15): Seven Tears
- Our Lady of La Salette (9/19): Rose
- Our Lady of Walsingham (9/24): Annunciation Wings
Our Lady of the Woods - September 5th
In 1621, an orphaned shepherd boy named Santi Bevilacqua was sent by his uncle to tend to the sheep when he wandered into the brambles and found a half-buried stone wall. Clearing the brambles, he uncovered a small painted tile of the Madonna. He knelt, said a prayer, and came back the next day with flowers. Soon other children were following him out to sing and pray near "the Madonna in the woods" — until an accidental brush fire got them all banned from the area.
Some time later, Santi was napping in his uncle's carpentry shop when a stack of lumber toppled onto him. He cried out to Our Lady of the Woods, and was unharmed. That was enough for his uncle to go looking for the wall Santi had described. He found it: the remnant of a church, long abandoned over a land dispute, its tile painted by a monk from Grottaferrata. He set about rebuilding.
The little chapel grew into a full shrine with a home for priests. Santi served Mass there for the rest of his life. By 1633, pilgrims came in such numbers that a new church had to be built nearby, requiring the delicate, prayerful work of moving the tile itself without damage.
Plague and cholera passed over Galloro when people prayed there. The miracles held, the devotion held, and Our Lady of the Woods remains a pilgrimage site to this day.
Flash Sale Today and Tomorrow Only! 9/1 and 9/2 Our Lady of Olives Earrings
Today, September 1st, we honor Our Lady of Olives.
Devotion to Our Lady of Olives began in 1493, when lightning struck a church in Murat, France.
Though the building was destroyed, a wooden statue of the Blessed Mother miraculously remained unharmed. Since then, Mary under this title has been honored as a sure source of protection, peace, and comfort, especially against storms and in times of childbirth.
Our Lady of Olives, pray for us!
And for a fun way to honor Our Lady of Olives tonight, try out this Lemon and Olive Oil Cake!
Coming Soon!!!
Soft Launch...now loading!
Purpose > Prompt
No doubt you've noticed a huge increase in businesses using AI graphics and flyers. It seems to be a big point of contention in online debates. Even Pope Leo has weighed in on it!
"Innovation can represent human participation in the divine act of creation...every design choice reflects a vision of humanity."
Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas
Learning the tools yourself, instead of skipping straight to a prompt, is one way to keep that human vision at the center.
I see this topic discussed (and argued over!) often in social media threads. Instead of adding to the debate, I've decided to offer one of the things I do best in my "real world job": training others to use technology and design tools. So I'm reviving my freelance biz. If you own a business or know someone looking for training in systems like Canva, Adobe, etc., you can learn more about what I offer here...
Blessings!
Mary Claire Scholl
Founder + Artist, 12th and Blossom
maryclaire@12thandblossom.com
This post was published