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Friends of the Rosary,

Today, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa, also known as the Black Madonna.

The icon in Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is traditionally believed to have been painted by St. Luke the Evangelist on a cypress wood panel from a table used by the Holy Family in Nazareth. St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine and collector of Christian relics in the Holy Land, discovered the icon.

The icon was then enshrined in the imperial city of Constantinople, where it remained for the next 500 years. In the 14th century, it was brought to Poland and is still enshrined in Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland.

The image of Our Lady of Częstochowa is associated with several historical miraculous events, as well as spontaneous healings occurring to those who made a pilgrimage to the portrait.

After the liberation of Poland from Nazi occupation, 1.5 million people gathered at Jasna Góra in 1945 to rededicate the nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pope John Paul II visited the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa four times during his pontificate. Our Lady’s intercession is credited with the liberation of Poland from Communist rule.

It is known as the “Black Madonna” because of the soot residue that discolors the painting. The soot results from centuries of votive lights and candles burning before the painting.

Today, the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa attracts millions who love and honor Our Lady’s intercession.

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!
Our Lady of Częstochowa, Pray for Us!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!

To Jesus through Mary!

+ Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

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