Welcome to Week 3 of Mystery Mondays. While many of you guessed it was Matilda Stanley “Queen of the Gypsies” at Woodland Cemetery or a headstone at Calvary Cemetery, the answer to Week Two’s Mystery Photo is: The Shrine of Our Lady of Belmont between Immaculate Conception School and Immaculate Conception Parish Church on Smithville Road in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood.

Congratulations to our winner Theresa Hatton! Rapid Fired Pizza certificates are coming your way! I took this photo on October 15, 2015 during my shoot for ICS’s 75th Anniversary celebration.

Shrine of Our Lady of Belmont – October 15, 2015

Entrance to Shrine of Our Lady of Belmont – October 16, 2015

Here are some interesting facts about the Shrine of Our Lady of Belmont, which was formally dedicated on May 18, 1958 along with a new addition to Immaculate Conception School by the Most Rev. Karl J. Alter, Archbishop of Cincinnati.

Our Lady of Bel-Mont

The title, Our Lady of Bel-Mont, means “Our Lady of the Beautiful Hill or Mountain.” Mary stands upon the Mount of Heaven to bestow upon us the graces won by Christ her Son upon the Cross. She prays for us and obtains His blessing for us. At the Shrine, besides the statue of Mary, are eight other figures, all carved of solid marble, at Pietrasanta, Italy. The figure of Mary shows her standing upon a cloud, having at her feet the moon. She is clothed in a queenly robe, and wears a crown upon her head. Her hands are extended to receive us.

I’d like to give special thanks to Father Satish Joseph and Parish Secretary Martha Lombard for providing me with research materials (1966 dedication program for the church’s current building) regarding the Shrine of Our Lady of Belmont.

Shrine of Our Lady of Belmont – 1966

Shrine of Our Lady of Belmont – October 16, 2015

We challenge you to tell us where in the Dayton area this photo was taken by filling out the form below. We’ll do a random drawing from all those with a correct answer and the winner will get 2 pizzas from Rapid Fired Pizza.

Enter here:

http://goo.gl/forms/dyU55fzc48

We’ll post the winner next Monday with details about the photo as well as a new photo to challenge your knowledge of the Dayton area.

Thanks for playing and good luck!

Here’s our Mystery Photo for Week Three: