Who is ‘Mary at the Foot of the Cross’? Explaining the Archdiocese’s New Icon

Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila with Elizabeth Zelasko, a local sacred artist and Denver Catholic columnist who wrote the "Mary at the Foot of the Cross" icon, following the unveiling ceremony Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Denver Catholic Staff)

As the Church prepares for the incredible jubilee of our salvation in 2033, the Archdiocese of Denver recently unveiled a new icon titled “Mary at the Foot of the Cross,” written by Elizabeth Zelasko, a local Catholic sacred artist and Denver Catholic columnist.

“The entire purpose of sacred art is to help us pray, pray together and center our thoughts on the transcendent truths of our faith,” said Elizabeth Zelasko. “I had many hours to sit with the Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross while I was painting. I thought about the magnitude of that moment, her Immaculate Heart being pierced with a sword, the evil one losing, and her great love for us and for our Archdiocese. I prayed for all of you while I worked. May this image be a blessing for you.”

The unveiling comes as the Church kicks off the public period of a nine-year novena in preparation for the 2,000-year anniversary of the Paschal Mystery, traditionally said to have occurred in the year 33 A.D.

The new icon will be a focal point of the Archdiocese’s preparation for the monumental jubilee, entrusting our local Church and our own hearts to Mary, the Mother of God and our mother.

“As Mary was present with Jesus throughout his passion, she will guide us in meditating upon these mysteries and participating in Jesus’ salvific mission on the cross,” Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila wrote in his Lenten Pastoral Note, “Standing with Mary at the Foot of the Cross,” which announced the new icon and accompanying nine-year novena.

“For centuries, icons have communicated the richness and beauty of the Church’s story,” he continued. “They contain much symbolism and assist us in praying with and entering more deeply into the mysteries of Jesus’ life. Our icon, as well, is rich in beauty and symbolism. I am grateful to Elizabeth Zelasko, an artist of our archdiocese, for sharing her gifts in writing the icon and explaining its unique features.

“My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that we invoke Mary daily this Lent and throughout these years, preparing for the Jubilee in 2033,” the archbishop concluded.

Icon Details and Things to Meditate On

Depicted at the foot of the Cross, the Blessed Mother remembers holding her Son as a child. Now, after his Passion and death, her arms are empty, and she holds the swaddling cloths from his birth, which she saved for decades.

Seeing her pain, God sends two angels to minister to Mary in this time of heart-rending suffering.

In a nod to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Zelasko included stars on Mary’s cloak, also calling to mind the prophecy of Rev 12:1, “A great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.”

There are also three brighter stars on Mary’s head and shoulders, which traditionally symbolize her perpetual virginity: before, during and after Christ’s birth.

In the upper-right corner of the icon, the Greek abbreviation “MP OV” can be seen, which stands in place of “Meter Theou,” or “Mother of God.”

According to a long-standing tradition of the Church, Jesus was crucified on the same site that Adam, the first man, was buried. As such, his bones often appear at the foot of the cross in traditional iconography. In “Our Lady at the Foot of the Cross,” Adam’s bones form an X C, which is the Greek abbreviation for “Christ.” The crossed bones include a rib, which hearkens back to the creation of Adam and Eve in Genesis and recalls Mary’s identity and mission as the “New Eve,” and his forearm bone (ulna), with which Adam would have reached out to grab the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

In the background, the walls of Jerusalem can be seen, recalling that Jesus was crucified outside the city limits (Heb 13:12).

In the upper-left corner, a solar eclipse can be seen, recalling the darkness that comes over Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ death (cf. Lk 23:44-45). The sun’s light is obscured, and the sky around the eclipse is darkened to emphasize the moment. Additionally, Mary’s dark veil against the gold halo echoes the shape of the eclipse.