1000s of greetings

Sei gegrüsst Vieltausendmal

Traditional pilgrimage song from the Alp region, sung by pilgrims before returning home after a visit to one of Mary's shrines.

The song offers Mary a last farewell and 'many thousands of greetings'.

Obama and Mary

During her vacation in Spain in August, US First Lady Michelle Obama revealed that her husband President Barack Obama always carries a picture of Mary Help of Christians in his wallet.

According to the parish priest of Santa Maria la Mayor in Ronda, Michelle told him "her husband always carries with him a photograph with an image of Mary Help of Christians, to whom, those present reported, the first family of the United States has great devotion".

Devotion to Mary under the title Help of Christians goes back to the European victory over the Turkish forces at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

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Devout

Holy mother of Christ most dear,
receive our devout hymn and praise.

- Inviolata

Maria Plain

Old postcard of the baroque pilgrimage church of Maria Plain outside Salzburg, Austria.

The church was built to house a miraculous picture of Mary and still attracts many pilgrims from Salzburg and surrounding areas. The building was constructed between 1671 and 1674 by the architect Giovanni Antonio Dario.

Listen to the bells of Maria Plain

Virgen de Belen

Vintage postcard of Our Lady of Belen (Bethlehem) in Cusco, Peru.

An ancient legend tells us that this image of Mary appeared one day floating on the sea by the Peruvian coast, near the port of San Miguel in Piura. According to the legend, the Virgin carried a note in which she requested to be taken to Cusco. There the image was placed in the church of the Holy Kings, which later became known as the church of Our Lady of Belen.

Corpus Christi in Cusco

Hour of death

It will be blessed indeed to have Mary at your side at the hour of death for she is more tender than any earthly mother. If she is there, then all will be well.

- Blessed John Henry Newman

Mantilla

Nuestra Señora de la Mantilla

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Walsingham

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, the most important shrine of Mary in England.

The original shrine and image of Walsingham were destroyed after the Reformation. However, in the early 20th century the cult was revived and the Norfolk village once again became a place of pilgrimage for both Anglo and Roman Catholics.

Virtual visit

Mariastein

Miraculous image of Mariastein, an important place of pilgrimage for Swiss Catholics.

Mariastein has been a place of pilgrimage since the late 14th century. The shrine and its image are looked after by the Benedictine monks, who built a monastery next to the basilica.



The bells of Mariastein

Maria Kirchental

Greetings from Maria Kirchental!

Postcard from Maria Kirchental, a pilgrimage church near Salzburg in Austria.

The pilgrimage to the church is centred around a gothic Madonna from 1400. The baroque building was constructed between 1694 and 1701. It was designed by the Austrian architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.

During the season of advent the church of Maria Kirchental upholds the ancient tradition of celebrating Rorate Masses in honour of Mary. The name of this Mass refers to its opening antiphon: “Rorate caeli désuper et nubes pluant justum”. Before the Second Vatican Council the Masses would take place in the early hours of the morning, but now evening celebrations are permitted also.

There is a beautiful symbolism associated with the Rorate Mass. Through the snow and cold and darkness of the early morning the faithful would travel with lanterns in their hands to the candlelit church where the Mass was celebrated. What a beautiful symbol of light concurring darkness.

Maria Kirchental website

Schutzmantel

Schutzmantelmadonna - The German word 'Schutzmantel' means protective cloak.

Images of Mary offering shelter to people under her cloak were very popular in the Middle Ages, especially in Germany. This late Medieval print shows Mary as the protector of religious orders.

Boulogne-sur-Mer

Panorama of Boulogne-sur-Mer with the church of Notre Dame

The impressive cathedral-basilica of Notre Dame towers high over the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. The church was built between 1827 and 1875 on the site of a medieval church. Its dome is 101 meters high.

Faithful

Virgin most faithful, pray for us.

- Litany of Loreto

Golden Hands

The Madonna with Golden Hands (or the Madonna of San Sisto) in Rome.

Many stories can be told about this much loved painting. It depicts Mary as advocate, gazing at the onlooker as she raises her hands in prayer.

Tradition holds the icon was painted by St Luke, though art historians date it to the 6th century. This means it is one of very few images that survived the iconoclasm of the Eastern Church. Due to its age it is safe to assume it was the prototype for many other images, including the famous Madonna of Aracoeli in Rome.

The painting is clearly of Byzantine origin. It is believed to have been brought to Rome in the 8th century by religious refugees. For many centuries it was venerated in the monastery chapel of Santa Maria in Tempulo. It favoured this place over any others, as the image miraculously travelled back there by itself after pope Sergius III had it moved to the basilica of St John Lateran. Like in many other miracle stories it is Mary herself who decides where she wants to be venerated, not her devotees.

In 1221 the Dominican nuns of Santa Maria in Tempulo moved to their new home in San Sisto. Thanks to their efforts St Dominic gave permission for the icon to be transferred to their new church. It was kept there until 1575 when it was moved to the nearby church of San Domenico e Sisto. Finally in 1931 it was moved to its current home, the church of Santa Maria del Rosario at Monte Mario.

Why the name Madonna with Golden Hands?

To answer this question we need to return to Byzantium, the icon's place of origin. The Greeks believed that a person's right hand holds special powers. That is why, when the icon was created, Mary's right hand was not painted but formed of a thin sheet of gold and added to the icon afterwards. A few centuries later the left hand was also gilded and the image became known as the Madonna with Golden Hands.

Before the restoration of the image in the 1950s the two golden hands could still be seen, as the picture shows.

Wonders of Rome

Understand

Know and understand well, you the most humble of my sons, that I am the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth.

- Mary to St Juan Diego; Mexico, 1531

Salve Mater

Salve Mater misericordiae, Mater Dei et Mater veniae.

Częstochowa

Copper engraving of Our Lady of Częstochowa from the 17th century.

The shrine of Częstochowa is located in southern Poland and is a famous place of pilgrimage. The icon of the Black Madonna is venerated worldwide and is known as the Queen of Poland.

This particular image of Our Lady of Częstochowa was made in the Belgian city Antwerp and shows the painting covered by votive offerings. Nowadays the icon is usually covered by an oklad, similar to those used by Orthodox Christians to protect precious icons.

Jasna Gora

Guide

Oh harbinger of day! Oh hope of the pilgrim! Lead us still as thou hast led; in the dark night, across the bleak wilderness, guide us on to our Lord Jesus, guide us home.

- Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

St Maria in Dieburg

This pietà from around 1420 is venerated in the medieval pilgrimage church of St Maria in Dieburg, Germany.

The statue has been considered miraculous for at least 500 years and attracts many pilgrims to this day. Organised pilgrimages take place from April until October, especially in May and September. Each year on 7 September, the eve of the feast of Mary's nativity, a candlelit procession takes to the streets of the old town. This event attracts thousands of participants and spectators.

Inside the church

Mater Dolorosa

Another image for the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows: the Mater Dolorosa in the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Photo

Sword

At the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to her son to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.

- Stabat Mater

Our Lady of Sorrows

Consolatrix Afflictorum

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (or Beatae Mariae Virginis Perdolentis in Latin). Devotion to Mary's sorrows dates back to the high Middle Ages, when popular piety very much focused on the suffering of Christ and his Mother. It is no coincidence that the bubonic plague, or Black Death, was claiming many lives all over Europe at the time. People could easily identify themselves with the suffering endured on Mount Calvary.

Traditionally Mary's sorrows were remembered by the Church on two different occasions during the liturgical year: during Passion Week (one week before Good Friday) and in September. Since 1913 the date for the latter has been set to September 15. In 1969 the Passion Week feast was taken off the calendar of saints, as it was considered a duplication of the September 15 feast.

Photo source

Le Notte di Cabiria

Grazie Madonna!

The pilgrimage of Cabiria to the Madonna del Divino Amore (Our Lady of Divine Love) from the film "Le Notte di Cabiria" by Federico Fellini.

Ex votos

Regla

Small dashboard statue of the Black Madonna of Regla.

Our Lady of Regla (or Nuestra Señora de Regla in Spanish) is venerated in Spain, Cuba, all throughout the Americas, and the Philippines. The original image is found in Spain.

I bought this for a few US dollars a couple of years ago. You can buy your own for $5.50.

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Praise

Grant that I may praise you, most holy Virgin. Give me strength against your enemies.

- From the prayer of consecration to Mary

Mount Tepeyac

Mexican print of Our Lady of Guadalupe appearing to St Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in December 1531.

Mary is seen offering roses to Juan Diego. This is a sign of her miraculous powers, as the flowers could not have grown naturally in the middle of the winter.

Also note the spring on the right. The water announces Mexico’s spiritual rebirth (baptism), which began with Mary’s apparition to the converted Indian Juan Diego. The toppled Aztec idol indicates that the old religion will be replaced by faith in Christ, whose Mother has come to offer hope and consolation to all who call on her.

Movie plans

Madonna di San Luca

Bologna - Sanctuary of San Luca by night

The basilica of the Madonna of San Luca is located on a hilltop south-west of Bologna in central Italy.

Legend has it that the icon of the Madonna was brought to the hill by a Greek pilgrim named Theocolus, who had purchased it near Constantinople (the current Istanbul) and was told it was painted by the evangelist Luke. Hence the picture is called the Madonna of Saint Luke.

Watch procession

Wisdom

Seat of wisdom, pray for us.

- Litany of Loreto

The Holy Name of Mary

Four days after the feast of Mary's birth, the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Name of Mary.

The feast has its origins in Spain, where it was first celebrated in 1513. In 1683, when the Turkish army was defeated outside Vienna, it was declared a day of commemoration for the universal Church.

According to an old Belgian Missal I have from the 1930s "the Church glorifies the name of the Immaculate Virgin and Mother of God (...) and calls on it with confidence to assure favour and protection".

Photo source

Blessing

Indian Catholics hold up a child to receive a blessing at the shrine of Our Lady of Health at the annual feast of Mary's birth in Hyderabad in India on Wednesday.

The feast of Mary's nativity is a big day for Indian Catholics, as it is celebrated as a harvest festival and at many shrines newborns receive blessings. Just like India's large Hindu population celebrates the births of their many gods, Indian Catholics honour the day the Mother of their God was born.

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Word of God

If you meet the Virgin
Coming down the road,
Ask her into your house
She bears the word of God.

- St John of the Cross (1542-1591)

Lede

Our Lady of Lede, Belgium

The statue of Our Lady of Lede dates from 1414 and was a gift to the church of Lede from a local tradesman. He had moved to Cologne and successfully set up a business there. As a token of gratitude to Mary he sent the pietà to his hometown.

The statue was met halfway by the people of Lede. But outside of Brussels they met a soldier with his cavalry. One of the horses became unmanageable and the servant of the soldier got seriously hurt. In his fury the soldier wanted to destroy the statue. However, as he lifted his sword his arm froze in mid air. Mary herself had stopped him from carrying out the blasphemous attack! After this the cavalry accompanied the procession to Lede. Upon arrival in the town the soldier’s arm was healed.

Once every two years the people of Lede still hold a novena and procession in honour of Our Lady, on the second Sunday after Whit Sunday. The 600 year jubilee will be celebrated in 2014.

In Flemish the statue is known as Onze Lieve Vrouw van Lede or Zoete Nood Gods (God’s Sweet Suffering).

Procession website

My Mary

Last year Dutch TV broadcast a series about Marian devotion in the Netherlands.

The series was called 'Mijn Maria' (My Mary). The makers of the program visited several sites where Mary is venerated. There they spoke with devotees about the role Mary plays in their everyday lives.

Watch the series here.

Per grazia ricevuta

Votive offerings are a direct testimony of how Mary has helped people in big and little ways. After a prayer has been answered the supplicant gives thanks in the form of a physical object, often a heart. When the problem has disappeared the heart regains peace and harmony, which is symbolised by the heart shaped offering.

The pictures above were taken at the shrine of the Madonna del Divino Amore in Rome. For centuries the people of the city have come there to thank Mary for restoring their hearts.

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Nativitas Mariae

Yesterday was the feast of Mary's nativity.

Above you see a 17th copper engraving depicting this event. Mary's parents, St Anne and St Joachim, are seen thanking God for the birth of their daughter.

Mary's name is being glorified in the sky.

Hearts

Mary is the most sweet bait, chosen, prepared, and ordained by God, to catch the hearts of men.

- St Catherine of Siena (1347 - 1380)

Niña Maria

Immaculate Child Mary, be the salvation of my soul!

Shrine for baby Mary in a church in Mexico City. Note the small photographs attached to the shrine, left there as votive offerings to the Holy Infant.

Photo credit

Mariazell basilica

The basilica of Mariazell in Austria. The church is dedicated to the nativity of Mary and is a famous place of pilgrimage.

The first church of Mariazell was romanesque and built in about 1200 by Duke Henry of Mahren, after he and his wife were miraculously healed at the site. In 1340 it was replaced by a large gothic church, built by King Louis I of Hungary. The building underwent a third transformation between 1644 and 1704, when a magnificent baroque church was constructed. It was designed by the architect Domenico Sciassia. The new church has no less than fourteen side chapels.

The basilica is regarded as one of Austria's most outstanding religious buildings. The characteristic façade is dominated by three towers: the middle one is a remainder of the gothic church and the two outer ones are baroque. It also has an oval shaped dome. In 1907 the church became a Basilica Minor. Since then it is known as the Basilica and Church of Grace of Mary's Nativity.

Nativity

Behold, this is the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin and of the renewal of the human race! The Virgin is born, She groweth and is raised up and prepareth Herself to be the Mother of God All-Sovereign of the ages.

- St Andrew, Archbishop of Crete

Culture

Since Catholicism is a world religion, the culture of Mary is as diverse as that of the continents that bear her imprint.

- Miri Rubin in ‘Mother of God’

Galtür

Our Lady on the main altar of the parish church of Galtür, a village and ski resort in the Paznaun valley in Tyrol, Austria.

The image of Mary is venerated under the title Advocate of the Poor and has attracted pilgrims since medieval times. In 1622 it survived a fire that destroyed most of the village and the church. No doubt this was seen as a miracle.

The richly decorated altar is a fine example of rococo, also referred to as late-baroque. Rococo is a late 18th century style in which artists became increasingly more playful and ornate, as displayed by the many putti adorning the altar.

Benediction

Fatima Fatima Fatima

Virgins of Fatima aplenty. Some glow in the dark, others predict the weather. Others simply smile, though some are known to cry.

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Maria Limbach

This statue of Mary from the 15th century is venerated in the pilgrim church of Maria Limbach in northern Bavaria, Germany.

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