Image courtesy of Damien Walker – The Studio of Saint Philomena
Artist & Founder
When a bishop shows up on The Family Rosary Across America with Father Rocky and Maggie, you know that it’s going to be good. This bishop brings along a powerful new devotion to Our Lady of the Prairie!
🎙 Meet the Guest: Bishop Chad Zielinski
📍 Location: Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota
👤 Area: Humble, faithful, and deeply Marian
🧑🌾Territory: 52 rural parishes: think wheat, corn, and daily prayers for rain
🖼️ The Star of the Show: Our Lady of the Prairie
New Image, Classic Beauty:
Commissioned just 10 months ago, the image was created by artist Damien Walker in New Zealand (yep, all the way from the Shire to the prairie!). It was unveiled on the Feast of the Visitation. Perfect timing, right?
🔎 Details in the Devotion:
Mary is shown cradling her Son and 12 stalks of wheat: a powerful symbol of the apostolic Church and the Eucharist 🌾
Jesus extends His hand in blessing while gazing at us with a look that says, “Come closer.”
Mary = Seat of Wisdom AND Mother of the Church 🙌
🚜 Why “Our Lady of the Prairie”?
Because it fits like a glove. The area is rural, deeply rooted in farming, and spiritually hungry. This title makes her intimately connected to the land, the people, and their daily joys and struggles. It’s Marian devotion with mud on its boots and heaven in its heart.
🕊️ Pilgrimage + Promise
📅 Coming June 22–29: A group of pilgrims will travel across the entire diocese with this image, praying for a new outpouring of grace, Eucharistic renewal, and stronger faith. 🔥
📜 A Little History
The Diocese of New Ulm was born in 1957, originally part of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It was always dedicated to Mary… just not under a specific title. So, Bishop Zielinski said, “Let’s fix that.”
Now, Our Lady of the Prairie stands as the official spiritual patroness of this rural and radiant community.
💬 Small-Town Faith, Big-Time Trust
“They pray for rain. They pray for it to stop. Then they pray in thanksgiving. Rinse and repeat. 🌧☀️🌾” – Bishop Zielinski
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