Our Lady of Czestochowa

olczsh
Originally uploaded by zavodk.

I am very fascinated with images of the Virgin Mary & this one in particular I love . The fact that she is Black just makes me giddy. About a year ago my mother-in-law found a print of this painting at a Catholic Thrift Shop....which reminded me of the time when I was in the 4th Grade at Saint Lucy's in Manayunk. The 4th, 5th & 6th graders all took a pilgrimage to

Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine in Doylestown, PA & if your feeling frisky check it out in Polish!
It was a gray rainy day when we drove the 1 hour to Doylestown & if memory serves me correctly, the Shrine sits on a big green grassy hill with nothing around it. It was odd & empty, modern & white with cathedral ceilings. At the center of the sparse alter was this painting. I think now it may have even been the original. Perhaps on a traveling expedition which brought our school to the shrine, I am not quite sure & I was unable to find an answer through their extensive website.
I remember walking through the courtyard as a child & than being struck by this image of the virgin. It reeled me on my 9 year old feet. Having digested so much of the "whiteness" of the church & the only browness coming from our collections containers at Advent.
I was amazed & happily so.

But why, dear readers do I recall this story for you now? Well doing some research on the Black Madonna I stumbled upon this little nugget, which I implore you to check out and be astounded.
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It makes me a little speechless, really..........