From Ocean to Ocean with Czestochowa Icon – The Black Madonna
http://www.fromoceantoocean.org/
The icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa has been intimately associated with Poland for the past six hundred years. Its history prior to its arrival in Poland is shrouded in numerous legends which trace the icon’s origin to St. Luke who painted it on a cedar table top from the house of the Holy Family.[1][2]
Arrival in Częstochowa
One of the oldest documents from Jasna Góra states that the picture travelled from Jerusalem, via Constantinople and Belz,[2] to finally reach Częstochowa in August 1382 by Władysław Opolczyk, Duke of Opole.[citation needed] However more recent Ukrainian sources state that it was taken by Władysław Opolski from the Castle of Belz, when the town was incorporated into the Polish kingdom and that earlier in its history it was brought to Belz with much ceremony and honors by Knyaz Lev I of Galicia.[3] The golden fleur-de-lis painted on the Virgin’s blue veil parallel the azure, semee de lis, or of the French royal coat of arms and the most likely explanation for their presence is that icon had been present in Hungary during the reign of either Charles I of Hungary and/or Louis the Great, the Hungarian kings of the Anjou dynasty, who probably had the fleur-de-lis of their family’s coat of arms painted on the icon. This would suggest that the icon was probably originally brought to Jasna Gora by the Pauline monks from their founding monastery in Hungary.
Coronation as Queen and Protectress of Poland
The Black Madonna is credited with miraculously saving the monastery of Jasna Góra (English: Bright Mount) from a 17th century Swedish invasion,[2]The Deluge.
The Siege of Jasna Góra took place in the winter of 1655 during the Second Northern War / The Deluge — as the Swedish invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is known. The Swedes were attempting to capture the Jasna Góra monastery in Częstochowa. Their month-long siege however, was ineffective, as a small force consisting of monks from the Jasna Gora monastery led by their Prior and supported by local volunteers, mostly from the szlachta (Polish nobility), fought off the numerically superior Germans mercenaries, saved their sacred icon, the Black Madonna of Częstochowa and, according to some accounts, turned the course of the war.
This event led King John II Casimir Vasa to “crown” Our Lady of Częstochowa (“the Black Madonna”) as Queen and Protector of Poland in the cathedral of Lwów on April 1, 1656.
The International Organizing Committee of the Virgin Mary Peregrination in Defence of Life. The Czestochowa Icon (a replica) “From Ocean to Ocean” will visit Ireland as part of the pro-life pilgrimage from Vladivostock to Fatima. This will be an opportunity to venerate a replica of the Icon in specially selected churches in Ireland.
Family & Life is honoured to be organising the Irish (Republic of Ireland – Precious Life will arrange events in Northern Ireland) leg of the peregrination of the replica of the famous icon of Jasn Góra, Our Lady of Czestochowa – The Black Madonna.
16 – 25 November 2012
Saturday, 17 November
BELFAST, St Peter’s Cathedral (11 am, Veneration; 12 noon, Holy Mass)
LIMAVADY, Drummond Hotel, Ballykelly (3 pm, Holy Mass)
LIMAVADY, St Mary’s Church (7.30 pm, Vigil Mass, followed by Veneration until 10 pm)
Sunday, 18 November
LIMAVADY, St Mary’s Church (9 am & 11 am, Holy Mass)
BALLYMENA, All Saints Church (3 pm, Veneration; 4 pm, Holy Mass)
Queen’s University Catholic Chaplaincy (Mass at 8 pm and veneration after Mass):
Monday, 19 November
KNOCK, The Shrine (the Icon arrives before the 12 noon Mass and remains at the Shrine for 24 hours)
Tuesday, 20 November
KNOCK, The Shrine (the Icon will leave at 1pm after the 12 pm Mass)
GALWAY, The Icon arrives at the Poor Clares Convent at 4 pm (for Rosary and Mass), and the Black Madonna will be venerated there during the night.
Wednesday, 21 November
GALWAY, Poor Clares Convent (9am- 1 pm)
Thursday, 22 November
DUBLIN, Family & Life Office (by invitation only).
Friday, 23 November
DUBLIN, Disciples of the Divine Master, Stillorgan (7.25 am – 4.00 pm, Mass & Adoration)
DUBLIN, Sts Peter & Paul Russian Orthodox Church, Harold’s Cross (6-7 pm, Akathist to the Mother of God).
DUBLIN, St Saviour’s Church, Dominick St (8pm – 9:30 pm, Holy Hour, Compline/Night prayer)
Saturday, 24 November
CORK, St. Augustine’s Church, Washington St (9 am – 12 noon, Masses)
The Icon leaves for France in order to arrive there on the 25th.
During the course of its peregrination through the world in defence of life, the Czestochowa icon replica has already travelled over 30 thousand kilometers from its starting point in Vladivostok. Its initial journey from Czestochowa through Minsk, Moscow, and Kazakhstan to Vladivostok, a distance of about 11 thousand kilometers, should also be counted. The Icon has been met by nearly 2,000,000 people.
Since June 15, when this historic pilgrimage began in Vladivostok, the following countries have already welcomed Our Lady’s Icon on Her journey: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and Great Britain. After visiting Ireland, the Icon will travel to France and Spain, to arrive in Fatima, Portugal just in time for Christmas.
Next year, at the beginning of March 2013, the VII World Congress of Prayer for Life will commence a continuation of Our Lady’s journey in defence of life across the world. The Icon will be peregrinating throughout Canada and the United States of America, beginning in May of 2013.
Further Details
Organiser:
Ocean to Ocean. International Campaign in Defence of Life
Contact Number
01 8552790 (Angela)
Email Address:
ewa@hli.org.pl
angela@fandl.iol.ie
Website Address:
http://www.fromoceantoocean.org/
News
‘Travelling icon’ visits Ireland
Icon making epic pilgrimage across Europe
[Paul Keenan]
Paul Keenan
Thursday, 15 November 2012
5:00 AM GMT
1
A ‘travelling icon’ which began an epic pilgrimage journey from the eastern coast of Russia will reach Irish shores this week.
The Travelling Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa (‘The Black Madonna’) will commence an official visit to Ireland on November 16 until 24, on a leg of its Ocean to Ocean pilgrimage, supported by the Family & Life group.
The icon, touched to the original miraculous image of Our Lady of Jasna Góra (right), and blessed by Archbishop Nowak of Czestochowa, has been travelling since June 2012, from Russia and across Europe, taking in 20 countries with Fatima in Portugal set as its final destination before the end of this year.
Making numerous stops as it crosses Ireland North and South, the pilgrimage will also include a visit and veneration at the offices of Family & Life at Mountjoy Square in Dublin.
According to Family & Life: “The icon of Jasna Góra, invites us to consider that before Christ could be found in [Our Lady’s] arms, she carried Him in her womb. Thus faith in the Incarnation commits us believers inescapably to the defence of unborn children.”
For full details of the Irish leg of the pilgrimage, visit www.familyandlife.org