Small roadside shrines are a recurring theme in the Italian cityscape. During my visit to Venice, several of these caught my eye.  My research revealed there are hundreds of these Catholic shrines in a wide variety of places and different building materials including wood, metal, plaster, or carved into stone.  The shrines are dedicated to the saints, this one to the Our Lady, Star of the Sea.

The Catholic Encyclopedia references the title ‘Mary, Star of the Sea’ originating from St. Jerome’s fifth century translation of Mary’s Hebrew name Miryam, meaning ‘drop of the sea’, into Latin ‘Stilla Maris’ which later became Stella Maris, likely from peasant dialect.  Like the North Star, Mary, Star of the Sea provided spiritual comfort to Middle Age sailors during stormy seas.

St. Bernard of Clarvaux so beautifully wrote,

“If the winds of temptation arise; If you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation look to the star, call on Mary; If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of ambition, of envy, of rivalry, look to the star, call on Mary. Should anger, or avarice, or fleshly desire violently assail the frail vessel of your soul, look at the star, call upon Mary.”