Come On Up To The House

Our Lady, Mother of Ferguson and All Those Killed by Gun Violence

Our Lady, Mother of Ferguson and All Those Killed by Gun Violence, often shortened to 'Our Lady of Ferguson', was created in 2015 by Black iconographer Mark Doox, after being commissioned by Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones for the Trinity Church in New York City. The icon was made to honor Michael Brown, a Black teen murdered at the hands of Darren Wilson, a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer, in 2014. While Black Lives Matter and similar groups had already established their presence in the United States following the murder of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown's brutal murder brought all eyes across the United States onto the movement and forced the reality of police brutality onto the TV screens and twitter feeds of white usamericans who refused to acknowledge that reality.

Rev. Bozzuti-Jones, a Jamaican priest at Trinity Church, an Episcopal church in Manhattan, commissioned the icon to honor Michael Brown and all other African Americans taken by police violence. Rev. Bozzuti-Jones, who is known for his racial activism and writings in the Episcopal church, chose Mark Doox for his bold, unflinching combination of Blackness and religion. Influenced by Byzantine iconography and Dadaism, Doox describes his art as such:

Blending narrative elements, historical references, and spiritual iconography in his Byz Dada style, Mark aims to create works that challenge viewers to confront sometimes uncomfortable truths about race, Identity, and power in American history. His commitment to addressing these existential themes head-on aims to explore deep cultural and historical issues while inviting reflection, conversation, and healing.

Doox continues to create icons for the Episcopal and African-Orthodox churches, and recently published "The N–Word of God", a graphic novel and art book. You can purchase it here

- Penned the famous all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well line

- Wrote about a Christ who willingly chooses to become permanently disabled out of love for humanity and how this elevates the honor and dignity of the disabled body

- Lowkey a universalist?? She hedges it by going “of course disclaimer here I agree with the church” but fully espouses a theology in which all shall be saved and all shall be restored to Christ and thus all shall be well

- Had a cat

- Gave us gems like the world is a hazelnut

- Apparently cast Satan out of her anchorhold “the power of Christ compels you” style

- Was a renowned teacher and frequently sought after for advice in her community and by pilgrims including the famous Margery Kempe

Hybrid Modernism. Churches in Kerala by Haubitz-Zoche 

Photographer Stefanie Zoche of Haubitz-Zoche has captured a series of vibrant images showcasing the “hybrid modernism” churches of the Southern Indian region of Kerala. The images below, also available on the artist’s website, depict the blend of modernist influences and local architectural elements that defined many Indian churches following the country’s 1947 independence.

Sacrament of the Eucharist, by Laura LaHaye

Post-Communion Prayer for Third Sunday of Easter