Mary and the 50 States is a beautiful picture book by Brenda and George Nippert. For the 200th birthday of America in 1976, a litany was written in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This book uses those titles – assigning one title of Mary to each state. Each title, from “Our Lady of the Gulf” in Alabama to “St. Mary of the Valley” in Wyoming, is explained and accompanied by a charming illustration of Mary.
Our country has a long history of honoring Mary. She was chosen as patroness of the first American diocese in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1846 Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was named Patroness of the United States.
While Mary and the 50 States makes for interesting reading for both children and adults on its own, it would also make a lovely addition to a U.S. Geography class. The end of the book includes an “Act of Consecration for the United States,” a prayer so needed in our modern world.
Brenda and George Nippert offer many additional Catholic books at https://www.catholicartworks.com.
