Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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MAASTRICHT

Shrine of "Our Lady of the Sea," near the Belgian border in southeast Netherlands, on the Meuse River. A statue of wood about four feet high, Mary holds the Child on her left arm. He clings to her left shoulder as he reaches for a flower his Mother is holding in a vase. Both figures are gold crowned. The history of the shrine goes back to 1400 when a novice brought the statue as part of his patrimony when he came to the Franciscans at Maastricht. Since then, this most beloved sanctuary in Holland has been the object of every kind of opposition. It typifies the religious struggles of the Dutch people, who came by the thousands day and night to pay their respects to "Maris Stella."