The Virgin Mary always comes to the succour of sailors and fishermen in the Roman Catholic countries. Countless churches are built near the coastline, adorned with chapels dedicated by sailors to honour the Mother of God. Sailing ships owned by Roman Catholics often carried an icon of the Virgin Mary and the crew members used to pray to her for a safe passage. In Renaissance painting she is often depicted in front of a distant lake or the sea, while her blue cloak represents the sea, the sky, and eternity. She is associated with the moon and the stars and is referred to as “the Star of the Sea” (Stella Maris).