Universal Mother: A Journal for Finding Yourself in Mary

Twenty Marian paintings by Holly Schapker show Mary in diverse times and settings. They are accompanied by personal reflections from the artist and art historian Cecelia Dorger, along with questions to help readers delve into their own experiences and reactions to the art and the theme of each painting.

With a foreword by Fr. Johann Roten, S.M.

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“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Luke 1:46-47

Meet the Authors

Holly and Ceil met over ten years ago and hit it off immediately over their love for two subjects: Mary and Marian art. They quickly began working together with Ceil presenting talks for the openings of Holly’s painting exhibits. The two collaborators have also conducted a women’s weekend art retreat centered on the Virgin Mary and consecrated themselves to Jesus through Mary using the “33 Days to Morning Glory” program.


  • Illustrator/Author

    Holly Schapker is a Catholic oil painter who has painted for over 30 years. She remains a passionate advocate for creating sacred art as an adventure in the spiritual. She has created hundreds of images as prayers to life. Many of her works are on display in Catholic schools, churches, seminaries and convents, and other similar institutions and have been replicated under license worldwide. In addition to graduating from Xavier University, Schapker has spent years in Catholic studies and contemplation. She finds surrender to the Holy Spirit as the true path in the creative process. Holly lives with her attorney husband in Cincinnati.


  • Author

    Cecelia Dorger, Ph.D. taught art history at Mount St. Joseph University for 28 years. She teaches courses about sacred art at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology in Cincinnati, Ohio. She specializes in sacred art, especially images of the Virgin Mary. She is the author of several published articles about the Madonna in art and she has lectured about sacred art nationally and internationally. Lecturing about how sacred art can be used to facilitate prayer is a favorite pursuit. Dorger lives in Kentucky with her husband and they have two married children and four grandchildren.

From the foreword by Fr. Johann Roten, S.M.

“On this Way of Beauty, you will experience surprise and novelty, but also great familiarity with things that come from the heart and speak to the heart.”