Tucsonan promotes Our Lady of Life

By James Kern, Our Lady of Life Shrine

Our Lady of Life, Mary the mother of God, who brings forth eternal life and the Gift of life for the entire world. "Behold, you will conceive in your womb bear a son, and You shall name him Jesus, He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, for nothing will be impossible for God." Luke 1: 31-32, 37  

This journey began on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in October of 1988, the year of our Blessed Mother. I, James Kern, a resident of Tucson, Arizona, experienced many miraculous signs, some of which I captured on video and still photographs, confirming the Ministry of Our Lady of Life.  

One of the very first was when I had just left St. Joseph's Church in Tucson, I was standing in my backyard and for some reason I could look right at the sun, which I don't recommend to anyone, but I saw it, and as I was watching this, it started spinning, somewhat maybe like my own Miracle of the sun. I was astonished by this and all the while I am experiencing an extraordinary call heavy on my heart to serve the Blessed Mother in a greater way. Right after, looking away, I noticed the outline of the Blessed Mother in the sky, kneeling on the world with her hands folded in prayer.

I quickly ran to get my camera and photographed image, which did not move all the while I went in search for my camera, and snapped a photograph inexpensive camera and 110 films. When the film was developed, I was surprised at all the other images that appeared in the picture. God the Father, Jesus on the cross, St. Joseph and an angel were among the many images can be seen in this photograph. I had reprints made to distribute, but continually questioned whether this vision was more than just that and what it was all about.
 
I needed confirmation that the Blessed Mother was really kneeling on the world since I had never seen her portrayed that way before. My son and I traveled back to Medjugorje with hopes of finding some answers on what our Blessed Mother was calling me to do. Our Blessed Mother answered me reassuring me of her closeness to us with a miraculous healing for my son who was totally healed of his epilepsy during that visit.

After returning to Tucson, a few weeks later, I finally received the confirmation I was looking for. I traveled to the San Xavier Mission in Tucson to visit and while in the gift shop was surprised to find a statue of a young Mary kneeling on the world, her hands folded in prayer. This helped confirm the vision I had of our Blessed Mother kneeling on the world.  

So, I purchased the statue and began showing to people the resemblance to my picture. About 2 weeks before Christmas that same year a woman gave me a plastic baby Jesus, which I was amazed to discover; fit below the folded hands on the statue of Mary without slipping off (see statue in photo gallery). I began sharing my picture, statue, and baby Jesus’ with prayer groups. The mission of handing out little blessed baby Jesus’ from the Womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary became so popular, that I ordered large quantities of plastic Jesus babies and continued to give them out.

It now became clear to me our Blessed Mother was calling me to support the Gift of Life. All the plastic Jesus babies were blessed prior to giving them out, and some of them became associated with miraculous events. After handing these out for some time people started returning to me, thanking me for the babies, claiming that they helped in some way, either spiritually or physically, and from that time and up to this day (in 2024) about 45 women who struggled with infertility have had healthy pregnancy after receiving one of these blessed babies from the Blessed Mother.

For years I continued to search for more statues of like the one I found of Mary, with no success. San Xavier Mission said it was the only one they had, and they did not know where it came from. About 7 years later, I was asked by a pro-life priest to speak about our Blessed Mother and the Gift of Life a group of teenagers. The talk was received very well by all the teenage girls and there was tremendous confessions that day. At that time and being invited to other events to speak I was feeling this ministry growing and called by the Holy Spirit.  I found myself questioning in prayer one day, saying, "What should I call her? (the image and statue I've been given)" The answer I received immediately was, "She's Our Lady of Life." So, I went one step further and asked “what I should do with all of this?” the answer I received was, "Make a larger one and promote life."

So, I prayed to God, if that were His will, that he would put someone in my path that would help me, specifically, a statue maker, and this materialized in a very short period of time, through a young couple from Tucson. They were so inspired after receiving one of the little plastic Jesus babies that they contracted to have an 8 foot, 2 ton replica of the little statue built which they said they were divinely inspired to do so. They were not statue makers, but boy, the prayer was answered.

Many more miraculous events followed, which led a priest to recommend me to a spiritual director. Within a week, Our Lady of Life received Bishop Manuel D. Moreno's approval. To this day there are 10 Shrines up in the Tucson Diocese and Blessed by Former Bishops Manuel Moreno and Kicanas. None of the larger statues have been pushed by me but requested by a parishioner or priest. Almost every one of the larger statues of Our Lady of Life that have been put up, the Knights of Columbus went a step further and made it a beautiful shrine. At this time, we have handed out over 1500 little 7” statues that have the baby Jesus in the bosom (like the one you are receiving from us today). We are currently working with a new artist to make the closer replica to the original statue so many more can hand out the little blessed Baby Jesus’ from the bosom of Mary and speak about the right to life and the story of Gods beautiful plan for His Creation.

As we know, the most precious gift that God has ever given to us is the Gift of Life. The statue is pro- life, in all its facets.  Later, I was reminded and noted that the day I first saw Mary in the clouds and snapped that photograph, was coincidentally the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. The Blessed Mother is kneeling on the world to signify that she is praying with us, not only to eliminate abortion but horrendous contagion of this culture of death. She prays with us, that we will find her Beloved Son, Jesus, by accepting His will in our daily lives, bringing unity with God and others, until we are called to come home, so that we may join Our Blessed Mother and her Beloved Son in everlasting life.