Today, the world continues to be full of tumult, war, and pain. The events occurring in Israel this week are a striking reminder of the brokenness of humanity and our need for the perfect peace of Christ. Our Lady Queen of Peace desires to bring us this peace!
Who is Our Lady Queen of Peace?
On his wedding day, Jean de Joyeuse wanted to give his bride a powerful gift.
After some prayer, Jean de Joyeuse commissioned a statue for his bride, a beautiful statue of Our Lady. This was not the usual depiction of Our Lady. Instead of a traditional depiction, this Madonna statue featured Our Lady gently grasping an olive branch with one hand while her other hand supported Christ under the title of the Prince of Peace.
Eventually, the statue made its way into the ownership of his grandson Henri Joyeuse. Henri, a devout and prayerful man, joined the Capuchin Franciscans in Paris, and out of devotion to Our Lady Queen of Peace, he brought his family’s statue with him on his journey. For the next 200 years, the Capuchin monastery in Paris had the particular honor of being home to Our Lady Queen of Peace.
Statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace at the University of Bonn
While in the Capuchins’ care, the statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace was pivotal in several key moments for France. While the nation was being plagued with the heresy of Jansenism, King Louis XIV made a personal visit to the Capuchins to present the statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace with a crown and to place the faith of France under her protection. Tradition holds that the influence of Jansenism decreased greatly in France after this act of entrustment to Our Lady of Peace.
During the French Revolution, the Capuchins were driven from their monastery. Despite being forced to flee with almost nothing, the Capuchins insisted that they bring Our Lady Queen of Peace. The Capuchins and the statue went into hiding and miraculously remained safe from the violent revolution.
In the 20th century, as World War I raged on, Pope Benedict XV was inspired by the history of this statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace and felt called to add this Marian title to the Litany of Loreto. Throughout those tumultuous years of war, he continued to urge the faithful to pray to Our Lady Queen of Peace for her intercession and for the restoration of peace throughout the world.
We invite you to join us in a live Rosary today on Instagram asking for the powerful intercession of Our Lady Queen of Peace. If you would like to pray with us, you can join through our sister brand @prayrosaries on Instagram at 2 pm EST.
Even if you cannot join us for the live Rosary, you can still devote yourself to Our Lady Queen of Peace on behalf of the whole world!
Our beautiful peace candle serves as a wonderful reminder of our Christian call to peace. As our world continues to suffer, may we continue to offer our prayers for peace. Keep the suffering of our brothers and sisters, both in Israel and around the world, present in your prayers while bringing peace into your own heart and home with our stunning peace candle. Available today at The Catholic Company!
