The image portrays the Holy Mother pensive in
sufferings, with deep sorrow reflected in her eyes and clouded brow.
A historical sketch of the miraculous
painting of
OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA
Jasna Gora - Bright Hill
The
Miraculous Picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa
is one of the oldest of the
Blessed Virgin in the world.
The image portrays the Holy Mother pensive in
sufferings, with deep sorrow reflected in her eyes and clouded brow.
Science traces the origin of the Picture to the 5th or 6th century A.D. The dark coloring on the faces and hands is characteristic of pictures painted during this period.
But prior to the year 1382, the history of the Miraculous Picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa is shrouded in legend and tradition.
Legend claims that...
St. Luke, the Evangelist, painted this picture on a cypress table top from the Nazareth House.
In the year 326 St. Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great, located the Sacred Picture in Jerusalem and brought it back to Constantinople where it remained for centuries venerated by the emperor's family.
In the year 1382, the Pauline Fathers were entrusted with the guarding of the Miraculous Painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Ladislaus, Prince of Opole and regent for Louis the Great in Poland, had found the Sacred Picture in the castle of Belz during the war with Ruthen Lords. Seeking a more suitable place for the Venerable Image of the Blessed Mother, he brought the picture to Czestochowa, a small town in central Poland. He invited members of the Order of St. Paul the First Hermit to come from this monastery in Hungary to provide protection for the Picture at Czestochowa, Poland.
In 1430 a devastating attack on the Polish Shrine resulted in tragic losses and the damaging of the holy picture. To this very day, despite the attempts to repair the damage, the slashes on the face of the Virgin Mary are still visible.
The foundation of the
Monastery and Shrine in Czestochowa began with a small wooden church. Subsequent
development led to the construction of the present day basilica and defense wall
which surrounds the sacred buildings (1632-48). Under the heroic leadership of
the Prior of the Monastery, Father Augustine Kordecki, the Shrine withstood the
attacks of the Swedish invasion of 1655. This great victory proved to be a
tremendous boost to the morale of the entire Polish nation. As a result, King
Jan Casimir, in 1656, made a solemn vow proclaiming the Mother of God to be the
‘Queen of the Polish Crown’ and the Shrine of Jasna Gora to be the ‘Mount of
Victory’ and a spiritual capital of Poland.
During the years of
Poland’s partition (1772-1918) the Shrine of Jasna Gora became a vibrant link
for the Polish people with their homeland. The holy painting enshrined at
Czestochowa beamed as a lighthouse of hope during the painful years of national
hardships and defeats.
Following the restoration of national independence in 1918, pilgrimages to the Polish Shrine grew in number and size. As World War II ended, a nation devastated by the scourges of war drew new strength and courage from the Shrine and its purpose to rebuild and recover from the war.
For more information go to: www.jasnagora.pl