The meme boosted morale and was used in merchandise products, resulting in more than a million dollars raised for humanitarian charities assisting Ukraine.

[1][2] The meme was created by Ukrainian-Canadian journalist Christian Borys, initially for use on stickers whose proceeds were to be donated to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

[7] The meme itself depicts a stylised Madonna (mistakenly claimed to be Mary Magdalene or based on Saint Olga of Kyiv by some sources),[8][9][10][11] cradling a rocket launcher.

Shaw himself was surprised to "find an image of ‘Saint Javelin' going viral all over the internet as a meme," and noted that even though the alteration was done without his permission, it is used for charity so the results are positive.

[22][7][23][24] As a former marketer and journalist, Christian Borys has stated that the response to Saint Javelin, which sells the image on everything from tote bags to sweatshirts, flags and stickers, has been "overwhelming", with thousands of orders coming in each day.

For example, shirts and other items sold as part of the 'rainbow collection' are earmarked to support LGBTQ+ Ukrainians who do not yet have full and equal rights in Ukraine.

[26][27] Other items sold by Saint Javelin depict iconic and viral moments of defiance from Ukrainians during the Russian invasion of Ukraine that are considered 'memes of resistance' that have been made popular online.