Our Patroness – Mary, Seat of Wisdom

Mary is given the title, ‘the Seat of Wisdom’, because she allowed Christ, “the power and wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24), to take up His throne in her.  The logo, designed by board member Oscar Tran, beautifully captures this in his depiction of Mary holding the child Jesus enthroned on her lap.  The logo also serves as an excellent illustration of our motto, Conserva in Corde (“Keep in the heart”).  As Luke relates, Mary “kept all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51) and pondered them.  In the logo, Mary gazes thoughtfully and lovingly at her son.  It is our prayer that the students at MSW come to imitate Mary, keeping all things in their hearts and pondering them, seeking to understand all things through Christ.

The original piece is at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and dates back ca. 1492-98.  The Virgin Mary is shown holding the child Jesus on her lap as they both hold open the scriptures.  Painted in the early Renaissance Netherlandish style, it maintains iconographic compositional elements such as the enclosed garden, the blue irises, the stags, and the peacock.