In the gratitude for the visit of His Holiness to Latvia last September, the President of Latvia and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone presented a specially made gift “Our Lady – Patroness of Terra Mariana”. It is a miniature copy of the stained glass artwork “Madonna and Child Jesus in the Mandorla” created according to the pattern of late Gothic woodcut altar and paintings at the end of the 19th century and located in the Riga Dome Cathedral. The image of Our Lady – Patroness of Terra Mariana symbolises the blessing of the ancient land of Māra and modern Latvia.
Glass Artist and Lecturer at the Latvian Academy of Arts Inita Ēmane is the author of this gift while Artist Ilizane Grīnberga has created the unique gift-wrapping made of leather.
The apostolic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Baltic States took place from 22 to 25 September 2018, when His Holiness visited all three Baltic States. This was the second visit of His Holiness in the history of Latvia as Pope John Paul II visited Latvia in 1993.
