Science Forums 2

[Galapagos]

In Egypt, the goddess Isis was an important god, and incidentally the also the beer goddess. Understandably, she was a popular gal and the Isis meme spread to and persisted in the Graeco-Roman world until the Christians decided to eliminate all the competing gods.
Isis was seen as a model wife and mother, and cared about everyone, wealthy, poor, saints, sinners, bums, and rulers. She was so devoted to her husband(Osiris, also her brother!?), she cried him the entire Nile river every year after he died.
The mythology of Isis is also said to have heavily influenced the worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
BBC - Religion & Ethics - Mary: A central figure

When Christianity was spreading across the Empire, it's clear that it deliberately took images from the pagan world in which it lived and into which it spread and used those images. Old holy wells and shrines were turned into Christian shrines. In Egypt a shrine of Isis was deliberately and self-consciously re-created as a shrine of Mary.

Interesting devotional website, covering the many other godesses associated with Mary:
Mary Queen of Heaven, Goddess & Saint
A website in which a few interesting cases of pareidolia can be observed:
Our Lady Of Guadalupe | The Mystery of the Eyes | www.sancta.org
On this website you can read messages from the Holy Mother herself(!) as channeled to the village visionary Marija in Bosnia:
The Medjugorje Web - Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje
The Monthly Message - English

Catholics claim that the Blessed Virgin is to be venerated, not worshiped, but I think a strong case can be made that many people worship her as a goddess. The Litany of Loretto contains a bunch of names given to Mary, which is similar to the 99 names of Allah in Islam, imo:
Litany of Loreto

Originally Posted by Litany of Loretto

[...]
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of Virgins, [etc.]
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good Counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of peace,
[...]

edit- also, I always see a giant church on the side of the highway when I head downtown-- "Mary, Queen Of The Universe", and it always makes me grin.