One of the things I love most about the Blessed Mother is how she meets us where we are. Over the centuries she has been given so many titles—each one highlighting a different way she brings us closer to her Son. One of the most tender and unexpected of these is her title as the Divine Shepherdess, which came about in Spain in the early 1700s.
The story begins with Father Isidore of Seville, a young Capuchin friar who came from a wealthy and noble family. Though he could have lived a life of privilege, he gave it up for a life of prayer and devotion to Our Lady. Father Isidore was deeply Marian from childhood, and after his ordination he had a special way of bringing people to her. Along with another friar, Father Feliciano, he would set up small shrines to Mary along the roadsides and teach the people to walk together praying the Rosary out loud. Imagine it: in a city filled with distractions, people were leaving behind their worldly entertainment to follow these friars and join the “sheepfold of Mary.”
It was during one of these processions that the words of Christ: “I am the Good Shepherd,” came to Father Isidore’s mind. That night he was given a vision of the Blessed Virgin, not as queen or mother, but as a shepherdess. He saw her seated under a tree, wearing a red tunic with a white sheepskin jacket, a blue mantle, and a wide straw hat draped with a ribbon. In her hand she held a shepherd’s crook, and on her lap rested a lamb, comforted and safe beneath her tender gaze. A rose in her hand symbolized the beauty she offers back to God, and around her feet gathered a flock of sheep.
The next morning, Father Isidore rushed to an artist, Miquel de Tovar, and described every detail of his vision. Months later, when the painting was completed, devotion to Mary as the Divine Shepherdess spread rapidly throughout Spain. Churches displayed paintings and statues of her in this way, always with her shepherd’s crook and her hat—sometimes straw, sometimes felt, but always reminding the faithful of her gentle care. To this day, a museum in Seville preserves these images, including a beautiful statue by the sculptor Francisco Gijon.
I love this image of Mary because it shows her heart as both strong and tender. Just like a shepherdess, she keeps watch over us, guiding us back when we stray and protecting us from harm. But she does so with such sweetness—holding roses, smiling with love, and always pointing us to her Son, the Good Shepherd.
As a child, I’ll be honest—I was a little afraid to let Jesus all the way in. His Cross, His sacrifice, felt so immense, and I felt so small. But Mary? She was someone I could connect with. Her gentleness made it easier for me to draw close. She didn’t diminish the weight of His sacrifice, but she helped me approach it without fear. She led me, little by little, right into His arms. That’s what she does for all of us.
When I think of Mary as the Divine Shepherdess, I picture myself as one of those little lambs, safe in her lap, comforted and close to her heart. And I trust that from there, she will always lead me to Jesus.
Mary, Divine Shepherdess,
gather me into your flock and hold me close.
When I am lost or afraid, lead me back to the path of your Son.
When I feel small before His Cross,
teach me to rest in your lap and trust your love.
Guide me gently, as you always do,
until I am safely in the arms of the Good Shepherd.
Amen.
