Jun 8, 2011 / 23:29 pm
Corrected June 9, 2011 at 8:57 MDT. Removes description of St. Juan Diego being on the surfboard.
A mosaic of the Virgin Mary riding a surfboard in Encinitas, Calif. has won admiration from many residents and prompted some concerns about whether the display is irreverent.
But city officials may have the last word: they say the “Surfing Madonna” was installed illegally and has to be taken down.
The artwork shows the Virgin of Guadalupe riding a cresting blue wave. Her hands are clasped in prayer and her green robe billows from the wind.
One side of the mosaic reads: “Save the Ocean.”