Still Seeing Mary Everywhere I Look

One of the things I love about being in Germany is that religious imagery--specifically Catholic imagery--is everywhere you look.  Just walking down a random city street filled with shops and restaurants and bakeries, you're bound to see more lovely Catholic statues and paintings than you'd find in most parish churches back home. 

Nowadays in our country, it seems like a loud minority of anti-religious protestors has succeeded in having religious imagery removed from the public square altogether, because it so "offends" them. (Apparently, seeing a Nativity Scene set up at Christmastime is the most vile offense some non-Christians can imagine!)   I don't know if the German population is more religious in general, or just more tolerant; but it definitely looks like no one is clamoring to have these beautiful Catholic images torn down, painted over, or removed.

Earlier in the month, I blogged about how I was seeing images of Mary everywhere I looked (here's that post if you missed it); but I'd only been here a little over a week by that point, and let me tell you, I didn't know the half of it!  Since then, I have spied many more images of Her, usually holding Her Infant Son, both here in my son's city and on a recent day trip to Bamberg.

One of my favorite images of those I'm about to show you is the last one of the Holy Family, painted on an archway over a little alley that leads to some bistros and shops.  I added a close-up, because I think the detail is exquisite.

Okay then, I think it's time to let the pictures do the talking for me. (And keep in mind that none of these buildings adorned with beautiful images of Our Lady are churches or chapels--they're just businesses and private homes!)

Constantly seeing all of these images of the Blessed Mother, and feeling like She is so close to me, wrapping me safely in Her mantle and protecting me from all harm, is one of the best things about being in Germany--and one of the things I'll miss the most when I get back home.