Our Lady of the Open Hand

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=131 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="3" WIDTH="107" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#C0C0C0" FRAME="HSIDES" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 27 WIDTH="99"><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="J. 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Michael Walker</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 14 WIDTH="822"><div> <IMG SRC="2cfbc020.png" border=0 width="444" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="3" WIDTH="807" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#C0C0C0" FRAME="BOX" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 470 WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="470" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="3a2f93c0.jpg" border=0 width="505" height="316" ALT="J Michael Walker's Our Lady of the Open Hand - Saint Biddy of Los Angeles" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="3" WIDTH="382" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#C0C0C0" FRAME="BOX" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 ><NOBR><div> Our Lady of the Open Hand</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 39 ><NOBR><div> by J Michael Walker, 2004</div> <div> Sumi ink on vinyl paper, 60” high x 90” wide</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="470" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="230" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 101 WIDTH="224"><div> Biddy Mason came to Los Angeles in the 1850's as a slave - a wedding gift to the Mormon who received and brought her here, not knowing California did not recognize slaves.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 101 WIDTH="224"><div> Successfully suing for her freedom, Biddy worked as a midwife for LA's principal doctor, saving up enough  money over a decade to begin buying real estate Downtown.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 120 WIDTH="224"><div> Biddy used her earnings to help others; providing shelter to the homeless; visiting prisoners - even maintaining an open greengrocer's account for thiose who lost homes in the great 1884 flood.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 43 WIDTH="224"><div> Biddy is a form of Brigid, and Saint Brigid is patron saint of midwives</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 58 WIDTH="224"><div> Biddy's well-known saying was "The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance even as it receives." </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="470" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="9" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 14 WIDTH="886"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="886" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>