Description
The Our Lady of Czestochowa Medal is a silver oxidized medal with a black Madonna of Poland on one side and Pray for Us with a flower on the other side. It is made in Italy and is approximately 2.5cm or 7/8" tall. It is a popular necklace pendant. The legend behind the Black Madonna is that it dates back to the time of the Twelve Apostles and was painted by the hand of St. Luke the Evangelist.
Our Lady of Czestochowa Medal (Black Madonna of Poland)
This medal has Our Lady of Czestochowa on one side and Pray for Us with a flower on the other side. Made in Italy, silver oxidized and is approximately 2.5cm or 7/8" tall. Great for a necklace pendant.
Black Madonna of Czstochowa
Our Lady of Czstochowa
Rome, Italy, Jul 19, 2016 / 03:02 am MT ()
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Our Lady of Czestochowa, also known as the Black Madonna, will be one
of Pope Francis' primary stops during his visit to Poland at the end of
this month for the global World Youth Day gathering.
The image, which has been crowned the Queen of Poland and is highly
venerated throughout Europe, is almost a given stop for any Pope who
visits the country.
Located in southern Poland, Czestochowa was the location of the 1991
global WYD gathering the first major world event after the fall of the
Iron Curtain, and which also marked the first time youth from Eastern
European countries were able to set foot in the Western half.
In comments made to CNA in March, Cardinal Stanisalw Dziwisz,
Archbishop of Krakow, noted how the WYD celebration this year falls on
the 25th anniversary of the 1991 WYD at the Our Lady of Czestochowa
shrine, which was a key year for the end of Cold War tensions.
For the first time in history, young people coming from the Eastern
countries, from beyond the Iron Curtain, took part in World Youth Day.
It was the first time World Youth Day was a really a worldwide event,
Cardinal Dziwisz said.
Now, 25 years later, Pope Francis will follow in his predecessors'
footsteps, and will go to venerate the image during his July 27-31 visit
to Poland.
He is set to visit the monastery of Jasna Gora, which houses the
image, July 28, where he will offer Mass for the 1,050 anniversary of
the baptism of Poland.
But while the image holds significant meaning forEurope and for
Poles in particular, what is the story behind the Black Madonna?
Legend has it
the image dates back to the time of the Twelve Apostles, and was
painted by the hand of St. Luke the Evangelist, who is believed to have
used a tabletop from a table built by Jesus during his time as a
carpenter.
According to the legend, it was while Luke was painting Mary that she
recounted to him the events in the life of Jesus that would eventually
be used in his Gospel.
The same legend states that when St. Helen came to Jerusalem in 326
AD to look for the true Cross, she also happened to find this image of
Our Lady. She then gave it as a gift to her son Constantine, who built a
shrine to venerate it.
In a major battle with the Saracens, the image was displayed from the
walls of Constantinople and the Saracen army was subsequently defeated,
leading many to credit the portrait with saving the city.
The image eventually fell to the care of Charlemagne, who presented
it to Prince Leo of Ruthenia (northwest Hungary). It was placed in the
Ruthenian palace where it remained until an invasion in the 11th
century.
Fearful for the fate of his city, the king prayed to Our Lady to
assist his small army. The result, according to legend, was that a
darkness overshadowed enemy troops, leading them to attack one another.
In the 14th century the image was transferred to Jasna Gora in Poland
as an answer to a request made in a dream of Prince Ladislaus of Opola.
The history of the image isbetter documented while in his care.
In 1382 Tartars invaded the Princes fortress at Belz, and during the
attack one of the Tartar arrows struck the painting and lodged in the
neck of the Madonna. The prince, fearful that the image would fall into
the enemys hands, fled during the night and stopped in the town of
Czestochowa.
The painting was placed inside a small church, and the prince later
had a Pauline monastery and church built at the location to ensure the
paintings safety.
However, in 1430 the Hussites overran the monastery, attempting to
take the image. In the pr
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