After 25 years of waiting, America's flattest state has a Mother of God that can be seen for miles: a 34-foot-tall, over-four-ton stainless steel "Our Lady Queen of Peace." It was lifted onto its base on the grounds of Holy Spirit Catholic Church near New Castle, Delaware, on May 1, 2007.

This Mary surpasses by two feet another steel Mary also made by its sculptor, Charles Parks, in 1982, for Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church on Highway 101 in Santa Clara, California. Parks was a Delaware native, and the temporary display of his Mary in Delaware during its construction is what kindled a desire among Catholic First-Staters to have one of their own.

Mary is designed to appear to beckon with arms outstretched to the twin spans of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, blessing the estimated 40,000 people who daily pass on their way out of New Jersey.

Donors who give $100 or more for the statue's upkeep will have their names placed into the statue's heart, which is visible at the front of the statue. A small door in the base allows a person to crawl inside and up a ladder to the heart, which opens from the inside.

Mary will be officially unwrapped and dedicated on May 26. [05/05/2007]

February 10, 2012