2023 Class Gift

The class of 2023 at Wyoming Catholic College will continue a proud tradition by leaving their legacy through a class gift. This year, they have chosen to fundraise for a custom Icon of the College’s Patron, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, which beautifully portrays the significance of Mary as the embodiment of wisdom. The image of Mary in the Icon is inspired by the Menologion of Basil II, where she presents the Child Jesus at the temple. Her posture is reminiscent of a throne, and she is under the dome of a temple with seven pillars supporting it, symbolizing the house that Wisdom has built in Proverbs 9:1–6. The Icon also draws inspiration from the Novgorod style of the Icon of Wisdom, originally found in the Cathedral of the Annunciation, Moscow. The six steps beneath Mary’s feet signify the Throne of Solomon (I Kings 10:14–29) and reference St. Peter Damian’s first use of the title “sedes sapientiae” for Mary. In the Kievan tradition, there are seven steps, but here, Mary is treated as the seventh step to Wisdom, her Son. The steps also allude to the seat of wisdom in creation, a common theme in the Wisdom books of the Old Testament. Additionally, the Icon draws from the hymn “All Creation Rejoices in Thee” to show how Mary relates to the trees, mountains, and flowers. The Icon is a testament to the Class of 2023’s commitment to preserving and promoting the College’s mission of cultivating a deep understanding of the true, the good, and the beautiful.