The Statue of the Immaculate Conception.

Bicester’s largest piece of public sculpture, the statue of Our Lady gracing the front of the church was the result of a special commission. Cast in bronze, the statue depicts the Immaculate Conception but does so in a manner different to the more traditional representations. The positioning of the hands reflects the title of Our Lady as Mediatrix of All Graces – with her raised right hand she receives God’s graces from heaven, with her lowered left hand she dispenses these graces to the world. The globe under her feet represents the earth while the serpent coiled around it - whose head she crushes underfoot – represents Satan echoing the title of Our Lady as the New Eve. Through the first Eve sin had entered the world, through the obedience of the new, sinless Eve Jesus Christ would be born and mankind would be redeemed.

"Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full of grace' though God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:
"The most Blessed Virgin Mary was from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilage of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."
The 'splendour of an entirely unique holiness' bu which Mary is 'enriched from the first instnt of her conception' comes wholly from Christ: she is 'redeemed in a more exalted fashion, by reaseon of the merits of her Son'. The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person 'in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, and chose her 'in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in live'.
The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God 'the All-Holy' (Panagia) and celebrate her as 'free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature'. By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 491-493.

Novena in Honour of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
V. In your conception, O Virgin Mary, you were immaculate.
R. Pray for us to the Father, whose Son Jesus, after He was concieved by the Holy Spirit, you brought forth into the world.
V. To you, O Virgin Mary, who were never touched by any spot of original sin or actual sin.
R. I commend and entrust the purity of my heart.
V. O Mary, you entered the world without stain.
R. Obtain from God that I may leave it without sin.
V. O Mary, concieved without sin.
R. Pray for us who have recourse to you.
Let us pray, O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin made ready a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you, who kept her unspotted from all stain, by the foreseen precious death of your same Son, grant to us in like menner to be made clean through her intercession and so attain union with you. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

Novena Prayers for the Immaculate Conception.
Immaculate Virgin Mary, you were pleasing in the sight of God from the first moment of your conception in the womb of your mother, Saint Anne. You were chosen to be the Mother of Jesus CHrist, the Son of God. I believe the teaching of Holy Mother the Church, that in the first instant of your conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race and your beloved Son, you were preserved from all stain of original sin. I thank God for this wonderful privilege and grace He bestowed upon you as I honour your Immaculate Conception. Look graciously upon me as I impole this special favour: (Mention your request).
Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from your throne in heaven turn your eyes of pity upon me. Filled with confidence in your goodness and power, I beg you to help me in this journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. I entrust myself entirely to you, that I may never be the slave of the devil through sin, but always live a humble and pure life. I consecrate myself to you forever, for my only desire is to love your Divine Son, Jesus. Mary, since none of your devout servants has ever perished, may I, too, be saved. Amen.

Prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian.
(c. 306-373)
Blessed Virgin, immaculate and pure, you are the sinless Mother of your Son, who is the mighty Lord of the universe. Since you are holy and nviolate, the hope of the hopeless and sinful, I sing your praises. I praise you as full of every grace, for you bore the God-Man, I venerate you; I invoke you and implore your aid. Holy and Immaculate Virgin, help me in evert need that presses upon me and free me fromall the temptations of the devil. Be my intercessor and advocate at the hour of death and judgement. Deliver me from the fire that is not extinguished and from the outer drkness. Make me worthy of the glory of your Son, O dearest and most kind Virgin Mother. You indeed are my most secure and only hope, for you are holy in the sight of God, to whom be honour and glory, majesty and power forever. Amen.

Prayer to Mary Immaculate.
Mary, Mother of God, your greatness began at the first instant of your existance with the privlege of your Immaculate Conception. After Almighty God and he Sacred HUmanity of Jesus, there is no being so great as you. It is true, you are a creature, and, therefore, far beneath the Supreme Being. But you are a creature so holy and so beautiful, and He did so make you worthy of the dignity of being the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God, the Divine Word.
It was fitting that you, a Virgin Mother, should concieve the Man who was also Son of God. It was fitting that you be adorned with the greatest purity ever possible to a creature. You are the Virgin to whom God the Father decreed to give His only Son - the Divine Word, equal to Himself in all things - that entering the natural order He might become your Son as wel;l as His. You are the immaculate Virgin whom the Son Himself chose to make His Mother. You are the immaculate Virgin whom the Holy Spirit willed to make His Bride and in whom He would work the tremendous miracle of the Incarnation. The privilege of the Immaculate Conception was suitable to your diginty.
Mary, my immaculate Mother, help me to imitate your sinlessness by keeping my soul free from every willful sin by the faithful obeservance of God's commandments. Help me to imitate your fullness of grace be receiving Holy Communion frequently, where I shall obtain the sanctifying grace that will make my soul holy and pleasing to God, and the actual graces I need to practice virtue. Through prayer may grace fill my soul with the life of God nd transform me into a living image of Jesus, just as you were.
Father, you prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy Mother of yoir Son. You made it possible for her to share beforehand in the salvation of your Son, Jesus Christ, who would bring life by His death, and kept her without sin from the first moment of her conception. Give us the grace by her prayers ever to live in your presence without sin. We ask this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.