Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga blesses a mosaic of Our Lady of Peace, in the Vatican Gardens

Act of Entrustment to Mary
A Korean presence in the Vatican Gardens to implore Mary for universal peace is the hope with which a mosaic of Our Lady of Peace Korean was blessed in the Vatican Gardens. The ceremony took place on Friday afternoon, 20 September, during the liturgical memorial of the Martyrs, Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first ordained priest of Korea, Saint Paul Chông Hasang and their companions.
Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, and Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, participated in the ceremony, along with the Bishops of Korea, who have been in Rome these days for their ad limina Apostolorum visit, priests, men and women religious and lay people from the Asian country. Also present, were diplomatic representatives of the Embassy of Korea to the Holy See. At the end of the ceremony, participants prayed the Rosary according to the Pope’s intentions, in particular to implore Mary for the gift of peace.
The image of Our Lady of Peace is depicted wearing a hanbok, traditional Korean clothing. The upper part of the dress is red, symbolising divine motherhood, while the lower part of the dress is turquoise, recalling peace. Mary carries the Child, who is in the act of blessing with his right hand, as he holds the globe in his left hand, which recalls the globus cruciger (cruciger globe) that represents planet earth, below the Cross of salvation. The Child is depicted with the colourful clothing worn by Korean children. Our Lady holds the Rosary beads in her hand, while a serpent and a waning moon are depicted at her feet, in a sign of purity against the empire of darkness. Above Mary and the Child, the Holy Spirit’s Dove is depicted among flowering branches, carrying an olive branch, the symbol of peace.
The mosaic is the work of Korean artist Shim Soonhwa and measures 1.5 metres by 1 meter. Including its marble moulding, its overall size measures 1.86 metres in length and 1.30 meters in width. The artist made the mosaic in Korea, while the moulding was done in Carrara.
The following is the address by the Cardinal President for the occasion:
Firstly, I would like to greet Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, the Bishops of Korea who are in Rome for their ad limina Apostolorum visit, and the Diplomatic staff of the Embassy of Korea to the Holy See. I also greet Fr Timoteo Yeon Jung Jung, Rector of the Korean College in Rome, Ms. Soon-Hwa Sim, creator of the mosaic, and all you priests, men and women religious and laypeople of Korea,
We are gathered around this image of Our Lady, venerated with the title, Queen of Peace, in your country. In our current times, there is as much need as ever, to invoke the Mother of God for peace in the whole world, especially in countries like Ukraine, the Holy Land and the Middle East in general, where hatred and violence cause victims every day.
Today the Church celebrates the martyr, Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon, your country’s first priest, of whom Pope Francis said in his Catechesis for the General Audience of 24 May 2023: “His life was and remains an eloquent testimony of zeal for the proclamation of the Gospel”. In the same catechesis, the Holy Father highlighted that, “About 200 years ago, the Korean land was the scene of a very severe persecution: Christians were persecuted and annihilated. At that time, believing in Jesus Christ in Korea meant being ready to bear witness unto death”. The Church in Korea is thus founded on the blood of martyrs, which are estimated to number about 10,000.
There is a special aspect to the transmission of the faith in your country, which Pope underscored: “the evangelisation of Korea was done by the laity! It was the baptized laity who transmitted the faith. There were no priests because they had none. They came later, so the first evangelisation was done by the laity”.
The laity therefore, transmitted the treasure of the faith to the various generations and bore witness to the Gospel, even in the midst of adversity. There is no doubt that among the faithful, Our Lady had a special role that no persecutor was able to eradicate. She has been invoked as Mother and protector for decades, and is especially worshipped during the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. That day coincides with celebrations for the end of the Second World War and the liberation of the country, an event that Catholics in Korea have always considered as a grace and a gift from Our Lady.
This is why you wished to have Our Lady of Peace in the Vatican Gardens, close to the Basilica of the Apostle Peter and to the See of his Successor. In this way, whoever should pass in front of this mosaic, will think of your country and lift up prayers, so that through the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace, the reconciliation of the Korean Peninsula may be achieved.