The 2025 Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage began with the blessing of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary statue, crafted for the pilgrimage by the renowned artisans of Oberammergau. More than a work of art, the statue serves as a visual reminder of Mary’s maternal care and her call to lead us closer to her Son through the rosary.
The Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage processional statue bears the title Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, the beloved invocation with which Dominicans conclude the rosary: “Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!” This original work of sacred art is in the Gothic style, but it also draws inspiration from the Spanish Baroque tradition, where richly embroidered fabrics were often used in processional statues. The statue was designed and created with great skill and devotion by the renowned German studio Albl Oberammergau, now in its 14th generation of master wood sculptors. In keeping with the Gothic style, the details of the statue draw one into contemplation of God’s goodness and wise ordering of creation. The rosary, fashioned from white and black semi-precious stones, echoes the rosary seen in Claudio’s 17th-century painting of St. Rose of Lima. The mantle of Our Lady glimmers with gold and rose-gold embroidery, woven into 165 roses and crosses—a reminder of the 150 Hail Marys and 15 Our Fathers of the Dominican Rosary. The Christ Child, clothed in ivory with roses and fleur-de-lis to match his Mother’s mantle, tenderly recalls that Our Lord took His flesh from the Blessed Virgin Mary. The statue is carried beneath a graceful baldacchino that helps frame the statue and points upwards to her true throne in heaven. Look closely, and you will see rosary beads, stars, and lilies delicately painted—gentle reminders of Our Queen’s maternal love and her tender care for every prayer entrusted to her.
