STELLA MARIS

The patron of this architecture practice is Stella Maris, a title attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The custom of placing a business or craft under the patronage of a saint has its origin in the Catholic practice of venerating and petitioning saints for a particular need and of naming a person, place, or thing after a saint with the intention of honoring that saint and gaining that saint's protection and patronage. This custom, as applied to businesses or crafts, has a most obvious example in the arrangement of the medieval guilds, whose pattern is praised as a worthwhile example to be imitated in contemporary times by the Holy Pontiff, Leo XIII in the Encyclical Humanum Genus promulgated in 1884.

The custom of honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary dates back to before the birth of Christ, even to the garden of Eden, but whose most illustrious manner may be referred to the Archangel Gabriel in the communication to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the divine plan to elevate her to the state of Mother of God through the Incarnation. The custom of honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title of Stella Maris dates back to the 5th century.

Pope Pius XII, in the Encyclical Doctor Mellifluus promulgated in 1953, elaborates on the symbolism of the title:

"Mary... is interpreted to mean 'Star of the Sea.' This admirably befits the Virgin Mother. There is indeed a wonderful appropriateness in this comparison of her with a star, because as a star sends out its rays without harm to itself, so did the Virgin bring forth her Child without injury to her integrity. And as the ray does not diminish the rightness of the star, so neither did the Child born of her tarnish the beauty of Mary's virginity.”