More Info →Group of Women at St Patrick's Cathedral

The young women in this photo are members of a Catholic organisation, a sodality called the Children of Mary, for girls aged 10 to 18, dedicated to good works in the name of the Virgin Mary. The sodality was instituted in Paris in 1835 by Saint Catherine Laboure, and formalised by Pope Pius IX in 1931. It became a worldwide organisation in 1947, and is still active today. The girls in the picture are wearing Children of Mary regalia: a light-blue cape, white net veils and a "miraculous medal" worn on a blue ribbon. This medal and ribbon can be seen around the necks of the three women in the front row. They are shown outside of St Patrick's Cathedral in Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North.