Mamma Mary

St Anthony of Pauda, BVM, Holy Infant of Prague

From Facebook archives ..

29 November at 10:13

We had a classic moment in Ferretfingers Recycled Arts Flower Collage class yesterday. 

The tutor tries to get in some diversity (numeracy/literacy/etc) so was asking about festivals that other cultures and religions have at Christmas.

One student is profoundly deaf and comes with two minders: one is a deaf lady who signs and lip reads the other lady can hear but is obviously and audibly not British.   

The tutor says cheerfully to her 

"And what about the country you come from…. what religion is practiced there?   

What festival do you have?"
To which she replies "I'm from the Philippines.  We're Catholic.  We have Christmas."

This led to a conversation about my mother's saints’ statues which now reside in my hall. "Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Infant of Prague, St Anthony of Padua."

"Ah yes" she says "We have little statues of Mamma Mary as well."

It strikes me that Mamma Mary is a much warmer and cosier name than the rather cold and stiff Blessed Virgin Mary.

Woolerwoman  We always said 'Our Lady' which, I suppose, is an Irish thing.  We had statues too; Infant of Prague, St Martin de Porres.  Always had a halfpenny under the Infant of Prague so that we would always have money!

Bentonbag  Not heard of that last one - I shall have to try it.  Our Lady sounds a bit remote to me too.

Bess Cavalier  We always say Our Lady.  I used to have a glow in the dark status of Our Lady of Lourdes.  Originally it was on top of a music box which played the Lourdes Hymn.  It was very brittle plastic and the music box eventually got broken but the statue survived.  I suspect it may be in one of the boxes in the attic we never got round to unpacking when we moved.  We've only been here 29 years so there is time yet.

Bentonbag  For some unknown reason the hands have fallen off the BVM I was given as a child.

Woolerwoman  I had a glow in the dark Our Lady of Lourdes too!  Spooky thing!

Bess Cavalier  I loved mine.