by Antonia Ferraro

Last we spoke on the topic of front yard religious statuary, I posited the question to Carroll Gardens, Where Will All Your Marys Go? I won't lie. I had a great time writing that piece. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with both Monsignor Massie and St. Stephen's Pastoral Associate, John Heyer II. Msgr. Massie helped me to think of the statues in a cultural context while empathizing with my own concerns about how the statues convey identity. John Heyer II framed the decision with his statement, "If it has no meaning to you and no greater meaning to the community, you don't need to keep it."

I finished Part 1 just in time for Christmas and I hadn't decided whether or not to remove the statue. In that piece, I never fully delved into how my front yard statue, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, reflects my identity. I never decided whether it had meaning to me or the greater community. My statue is covered in snow at the moment and the front yard won't get much attention for several months. So I figured I had time, but Heyer's statement lingered in my mind and framed a debate between myself and my Roman neighbor, whom I had been expecting to adopt my statue. She embarked on her own journey over Christmas during which she discovered where the Marys actually go! 

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Source: http://themomtropolis.com/