The Mantle of Mercy for the 5th Centenary Coronation of Our Lady of Oropa was made from 15,000 pieces of fabrics donated by the worshippers
On the occasion of the 5th Centenary Coronation, a mantle was offered to the Black Madonna of Oropa together with the crown: a mantle that descends from the crown and represents the whole community.
“In the history of art,” explains Alessandra Alberto, the project’s creator, “the Madonna’s mantle is a symbol of protection that unites all people.
Since the project was launched in 2018, 15,000 peaces of clothes have arrived at the Shrine. Each person has entrusted to Our Lady a fragment of their life, memories of moments of joy, of pain, accompanying it with a prayer intention.
The small pieces of fabrics, of different compositions and origins such as wedding dresses, sheets, overalls, tablecloths… were sewn together in the silence of prayer by the nuns of the Monastery of Orta San Giulio and a group of volunteers from Biella.
The multicoloured mantle, an extraordinary patchwork that reached a length of 25 metres, was given to Oropa Balck Madonna together with the crown. Now thousands of lives are under Her protection.
The Mantle of Mercy and the crowns can be seen in the Ancient Basilica of the Sanctuary
