Our Lady of Peace Shrine, Catholic shrine in Santa Clara, US

Our Lady of Peace Shrine is a Catholic place of worship in Santa Clara featuring a large stainless steel statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue sits on a landscaped mound surrounded by gardens and walking paths.

The church was founded in 1961 and the statue was constructed during the 1980s as a symbol of faith. The shrine has since become an important prayer site for the local community.

The shrine's name comes from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to whom the 32-foot steel Madonna was dedicated on October 7, 1983, the Feast of the Holy Rosary. Since 1976 the church has held 24-hour Eucharistic adoration and stayed open around the clock for prayer. Fr. Patrick Peyton of the Rosary Crusade attended the dedication, and Fr. Sweeny had asked supporters for a million rosaries rather than money.

The church has stayed open around the clock for prayer since 24-hour Eucharistic adoration began in 1976. The 32-foot statue stands on the grounds with a 15-foot wingspan, and a seven-foot bronze statue of John Paul II faces it across the way. A Family Learning Center, built in 1996, hosts faith-based activities.

Fr. John Sweeny first wanted a 90-foot Madonna before settling on 32 feet. Sculptor Charles Parks had to demolish part of his Wilmington, Delaware, studio to make room, and the finished steel figure, with a 15-foot wingspan, crossed the country on an 80-foot flatbed truck with a formal escort before Bishop Pierre DuMaine dedicated it on October 7, 1983, the Feast of the Holy Rosary.