EOHSJ Icon Plaque

Our Lady of Palestine - Protectress of the Holy Land This icon is an elaborated artist reproduction of the original commissioned by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a worldwide organization which is dedicated to supporting the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Their crest appears at the bottom of the icon along with their motto "Deus lo vult." As early as the 11th Century, Mary was prayed to as the patroness of the Holy Land by the crusader kingdoms who sought to liberate the Holy Land from Islamic rule. In 1927, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem created the feast day of Our Lady of Palestine on October 25 as a time to pray through the intercession of Our Lady for peace in the land where Christ and Our Lady lived out their early lives in a place which since that time has too often been rent by war and conquest. Today, the shrine to Our Lady of Palestine is located midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The inscription of the church reads “Regina Palaestinae” (the Queen of Palestine.)