Modanna Queen of the Universe- East Boston, MA

In the lower floors of a church in East Boston lies an animated marvel of life during the birth of Jesus. It begins on the left with sunrise on an ordinary day. It proceeds towards the right, as the birth of Jesus draws near. At the end of the presentation is the gathering for His holy birth.

Though these pictures do not do it justice, I hope you get a glimpse of its beauty.

Merry Christmas to all and blessings to your families.

*from onthegrid.city

The 40-foot statue was built in 1954 by the fathers of the Don Orione order. They wanted to create a devotional work to pair with their charitable work at their nursing home across the street, as it was their belief that every charitable work they commit should be paired with a devotional site. She stands atop a globe representing her place in the universe.

The shrine acts as national headquarters of the Order of Don Orione and is a replica of one in the Don Orione Center in Rome. Both this statue, and the original, were sculpted by an Italian Jewish sculptor named Arrigo Minerbi, as a tribute to the Catholic Church for having protected him and his family from the Nazis during World War II. The Order founded a home for the elderly sick here and the statue was brought from Italy and unveiled in 1954 before a crowd of over 10,000. The Don Orione retirement home next door is still in operation and the oversize Mary stands as a reminder of the religious devotion that continues to drive the charitable facility.

** when Moma came from Florida, she moved into the Don Orione Home with her top floor window facing the shrine. ❤️❤️