The Statue of Liberty Should Have Been Mother Mary

By Richard W. Horrell
Liberty Builders USA

Hear me out, please.

They built her tall, strong, and radiant.
They called her “Liberty Enlightening the World”—
as if the concept had originated from a future Woodstock concert.

She stood in the harbor—torch lifted high, crown on her head,
and the promise of freedom in her gaze.

But something has always felt off.

Beautiful? Yes.
Symbolic? Certainly.
Spiritually whole? No.

The truth is—it should have been Mother Mary.

Hang in there, please:

Not the Roman goddess of liberty.
Not the modern, human ideal of freedom.
But the Mother of the One who gave true liberty to the world—
along with America, where that liberty took deepest root.

A Statue from a Distorted Light

The men who built the Statue of Liberty were brilliant—enlightened, even.
But somewhere along the way, they distanced themselves from the Catholic Church.

They ventured out on their own—
to be “enlightened by self,”
as if replaying the ancient temptation:

“You will be like gods…” (Genesis 3:5)

They left behind the sacraments.
They abandoned the authority of truth.
They walked away from the very Source of the freedom they wanted to sculpt.

They tried to keep the symbol,
but abandon the Source—
perhaps in the name of pluralism.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

And so they gave us something nearly holy—but not whole.
Beautiful—but incomplete.
Bold—but spiritually blind.

Lady Liberty Stands, But She’s Hollow

Her torch burns, but it doesn’t point to Christ.
Her crown nearly shines, but it does not speak of Heaven.
Her arms are open, but they do not bless.

She is almost holy.
And in that “almost,” you feel the ache.
As if the fireworks didn’t go off.
Like a ship drifting just short of the harbor.
Or a spaceship almost missing Earth.

Houston, we have a problem.

The Woman Who Should Be There

It Should Have Been Mary

(a poem for Our Lady of Liberty)

It should have been Mary, so gentle and bright,
Crowned with the stars and clothed with the Light.
The harbor would glow with her heavenly grace,
The Queen of all nations, arms wide to embrace.

She would not boast, nor rule from pride,
But lift our gaze to the Crucified.
Her torch would burn with eternal flame,
And every soul would know His name.

She’d whisper truth no tyrant could bend,
And guide the lost like a faithful friend.
Her robe would flow like waves of peace,
A sign that God’s mercy will never cease.

She wouldn’t promise wealth or fame,
But freedom through the Savior’s Name.
Not liberty made by man’s decree—
But freedom born on Calvary’s Tree.

She would not stand for power or gain,
But for souls set free from sin and pain.
She'd say to the weary, the broken, the small:

“Come to my Son—He welcomes you all.”

It should have been Mary.

Maybe They Knew…

Maybe the sculptors knew America wasn’t ready.
Maybe I’m underestimating their wisdom.
Maybe they realized that Protestant America in the 1880s
would’ve torn down the real Queen of Liberty.

So they gave us a shadow instead.
A beautiful form—but without the fullness of faith.

But now?

Maybe we’re finally ready to say what should have been said all along:

America’s Woman of Liberty was never meant to be a goddess.
She was always meant to be a Mother.