The icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa and its connections to Polish history
by Christine Palczewski
She is called the Black Madonna (Czarna Madonna) and her feast day is Thursday, Aug. 26. Legend states that the portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary was originally painted by St. Luke on a wooden table that was used for the Last Supper and made by Jesus under the watchful eye of Saint Joseph.
After the crucifixion, the icon was moved from Jerusalem to Constantinople where it remained hidden. It was eventually discovered by St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, and a collector of Christian relics. When the city of Constantinople was invaded by the Saracens, the people prayed to Mary and the city was saved. Thus began the great devotion to the Blessed Mother.
The icon was given as a gift by the Byzantine Emperor to a Russian nobleman from the eastern Polish provinces who displayed it in the Royal Palace of Belz. While in the castle, an arrow (according to Father A. Wiezbicki in the film “Our Lady of Częstochowa ”) from one of the Tartars invasions, pierced the painting leaving a visible scar on the Madonna’s neck.
Concerned for the safety of the icon due to the invasion of the Tartars, Prince Ladislaus Opolski, governor of Ruthenia, decided to move it to one of his castles in Upper Silesia. On the hill known as Jasna Góra, in the town of Częstochowa, the wagon with the painting stopped and the horses would not move.
Mary then appeared to Ladislaus and told him this was her new home. Ladislaus left the image of the Black Madonna to the care and protection of the Pauline Fathers (a monastic order known as The Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit). The icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa found a permanent home.
In 1430, a Hussite army robbed the monastery and stole the icon. The horses again would not budge. The image was thrown to the ground and struck twice with a sword – leaving two scars on Mary’s cheek. Legend states that before the soldier could strike a third time, he died. A miraculous spring began to flow in the place where the Pauline monks retrieved the image.
In 1655, when the Swedish army invaded the city, a group of Polish soldiers prayed at the feet of the icon for deliverance. Even though the invading army was stronger than the Poles, they retreated. As a result, King Kazimierz declared Our Lady of Częstochowa as the “Queen of Poland.”
In 1920, when the Soviet Red Army massed an attack on Warsaw, the Poles once again turned to the Black Madonna. It is said that the Virgin appeared in the clouds above Warsaw and the Russians retreated – “The Miracle on the Vistula.”
Today, thousands of pilgrims visit the monastery at Jasna Góra to venerate the icon of the Black Madonna. It is protected from dust, soot, and smoke by dresses made of silver, gold, and precious stone. It is said that currently there are 11 dresses each with a unique history and used for different special occasions. Images of the Black Madonna can be found in churches and homes throughout the world.
The preservation and protection of the Black Madonna continues to be the responsibility of the Pauline Fathers. In Western New York there are two churches named Our Lady of Częstochowa. And, the Pauline order has a monastery at Corpus Christi Church. There are also numerous churches displaying the image of the Black Madonna. And, just hours away is the National Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Doylestown, PA.
Composer Henryk Gorecki once said: “The Virgin Mary’s suffering is the essence of the Polish soul, Polish culture, Polish Catholicism, Polish History, and of all Polish mothers. She has been the most powerful symbol of ‘Polishness’ since the painting was brought to Częstochowa when Poland was coming into nationhood. Our Lady of Częstochowa has always stood as the epitome of perfect motherhood, loving, and forgiving.”
She is called the Black Madonna (Czarna Madonna) and her feast day is Thursday, Aug. 26. Legend states that the portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary was originally painted by St. Luke on a wooden table that was used for the Last Supper and made by Jesus under the watchful eye of Saint Joseph.
After the crucifixion, the icon was moved from Jerusalem to Constantinople where it remained hidden. It was eventually discovered by St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, and a collector of Christian relics. When the city of Constantinople was invaded by the Saracens, the people prayed to Mary and the city was saved. Thus began the great devotion to the Blessed Mother.
The icon was given as a gift by the Byzantine Emperor to a Russian nobleman from the eastern Polish provinces who displayed it in the Royal Palace of Belz. While in the castle, an arrow (according to Father A. Wiezbicki in the film “Our Lady of Częstochowa ”) from one of the Tartars invasions, pierced the painting leaving a visible scar on the Madonna’s neck.
Concerned for the safety of the icon due to the invasion of the Tartars, Prince Ladislaus Opolski, governor of Ruthenia, decided to move it to one of his castles in Upper Silesia. On the hill known as Jasna Góra, in the town of Częstochowa, the wagon with the painting stopped and the horses would not move.
Mary then appeared to Ladislaus and told him this was her new home. Ladislaus left the image of the Black Madonna to the care and protection of the Pauline Fathers (a monastic order known as The Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit). The icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa found a permanent home.
In 1430, a Hussite army robbed the monastery and stole the icon. The horses again would not budge. The image was thrown to the ground and struck twice with a sword – leaving two scars on Mary’s cheek. Legend states that before the soldier could strike a third time, he died. A miraculous spring began to flow in the place where the Pauline monks retrieved the image.
In 1655, when the Swedish army invaded the city, a group of Polish soldiers prayed at the feet of the icon for deliverance. Even though the invading army was stronger than the Poles, they retreated. As a result, King Kazimierz declared Our Lady of Częstochowa as the “Queen of Poland.”
In 1920, when the Soviet Red Army massed an attack on Warsaw, the Poles once again turned to the Black Madonna. It is said that the Virgin appeared in the clouds above Warsaw and the Russians retreated – “The Miracle on the Vistula.”
Today, thousands of pilgrims visit the monastery at Jasna Góra to venerate the icon of the Black Madonna. It is protected from dust, soot, and smoke by dresses made of silver, gold, and precious stone. It is said that currently there are 11 dresses each with a unique history and used for different special occasions. Images of the Black Madonna can be found in churches and homes throughout the world.
The preservation and protection of the Black Madonna continues to be the responsibility of the Pauline Fathers. In Western New York there are two churches named Our Lady of Częstochowa. And, the Pauline order has a monastery at Corpus Christi Church. There are also numerous churches displaying the image of the Black Madonna. And, just hours away is the National Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Doylestown, PA.
Composer Henryk Gorecki once said: “The Virgin Mary’s suffering is the essence of the Polish soul, Polish culture, Polish Catholicism, Polish History, and of all Polish mothers. She has been the most powerful symbol of ‘Polishness’ since the painting was brought to Częstochowa when Poland was coming into nationhood. Our Lady of Częstochowa has always stood as the epitome of perfect motherhood, loving, and forgiving.”