Mary is a very important person in our Catholic faith.  She is the mother of Jesus and she is also our mother.  She never stops praying for all her children.  In this statue, Mary holds the baby Jesus gently.  It looks like she wants to share Jesus with us--and she does! 

This statue is one of the best loved images in the Cathedral.  People come in, say a prayer, and light a candle.  The "Hail Mary" is one of the most familiar of all the many prayers to Mary.  It is prayed the world over in many, many languages.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

Every Catholic church has a crucifix, an image of Jesus on the cross.  The crucifix at St. James is placed near the altar where all can see it.  Above Jesus' head are the letters INRI, which is an abbreviation for the Latin words meaning Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.  For Christians, the cross is a reminder of all that Jesus did for us.  By his death, Jesus brought us to new life!

There are four angels on the Great Cross.  Take a close look next time.  What are the angels holding?

In the 1600s in France, Saint Margaret Mary, a French nun, encouraged people to show special reverence for Christ's heart, which is full of love, mercy, and forgiveness for all.  This devotion to Jesus' heart became very popular and almost every Catholic church has an image of "the Sacred Heart of Jesus."  This statue shows Jesus praying to his Father for us.  He stretches his arms out wide, because the love of Jesus embraces the whole world.

Not every parish has its very own saint!  Mother Cabrini used to come to the Cathedral to pray when she lived in Seattle in the early 1900s.  Mother Cabrini was a nun and the founder of a community of nuns.  She came from Italy to the United States to minister to immigrants, orphans, and the elderly. 

Saint Joseph is an important saint.  He is the husband of Mary, and the foster-father of Jesus.  Together, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up.  They taught him to pray, and to understand the scriptures.  Joseph was a carpenter, and he taught Jesus how to work, too!  What else do you think Jesus learned from Mary and Joseph?

Joseph carries lilies, a symbol of his simplicity and goodness.  In the other hand, he holds a square, a tool for carpenters.

In almost every Catholic church you can find the stations of the Cross.  These stations tell the story of Jesus' passion and death through fourteen images.  As we move through the church, pausing to pray before each of the images, we can walk with Jesus on his way to Calvary, where he was crucified.  During the season of Lent, it's traditional to pray the stations.

Each station begins with this prayer:  "We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world!"

The word "icon" means "image."  An icon is like a window:  a window into heaven, a window on the divine.  It shows us a little glimpse of something amazing, and it uses its own special "language" to teach us! 

In this icon, we see the story of Jesus' transfiguration, when he became dazzling white.  Gold rays around his body, and a shining halo, help us to imagine how bright Jesus appeared.  We see Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus; and you can tell from the way they are standing how much they respect Jesus.  At Jesus' feet are his apostles, Peter, James, and John.  They have been literally "bowled over" by their glimpse of Jesus in glory!