New Look For June

Summer makes me long for the sea. My very favourite part of the English coast is Cornwall, so I've put a picture of St. Michael's Mount near Penzance in the header. The photo comes from Flickr user hartlandmartin and is used under a Creative Commons licence.

Thanks to Alicia at Moms Who Blog I have managed to add a menu bar. The tabs (should!) take you to compilations of my Our Lady Around the World posts, the literary tour of England I posted a couple of years ago, and various book reviews.

May 31st: Ode to Mary

To wrap up my Around the World With Our Lady series, and to celebrate today's Feast of the Visitation, here is an Ode to Mary, by Peter Heintz:

Ode to Mary

O Blessed Mary
Immaculate Virgin
Most holy and pure
free of all sin

Mother of God
and all mankind
Loving and gentle
sweet and kind

Full of grace
and merciful
Perpetual help
and prayerful

Our Lady of Sorrows
so sorrowful
Soul eternally spotless
so beautiful

Messenger of God
our intercessor
Perfect human
our protector

To save mankind
reveal Your faces
at Knock, Tre-Fontane
and other places

At La Salette
and at Pontmain
At Rue du Bac
and at Beauraing

Lady of Carmel
and Guadalupe
Lady of Fatima
and Medjugorje

Lady of the Rosary
and of Lourdes' Shrine
Lily of the Valley
Torch of Love sublime

Cape of Juan Diego
Song of Bernadette
Miracle at Fatima
the world dare not forget

Queen of Peace
and of Heaven above
Queen of Earth
And Queen of Love

You gave us the grace
of First Saturday
And specially taught us
the rosary to pray

Please help us convert
and help us to pray
To open our hearts
to do penance each day

To love one another
and do every good deed
To respond from our hearts
Your teachings to heed

Draw us ever closer
to Your Divine Son
That we may become holy
and our hearts become one

For you are the Handmaid
of the Lord
You live eternally
according to His Word.

Peter Heintz
A Guide to Apparitions. Part I.
Sacramento: Gabriel Press, 1995.

Source: Poems Dealing with Marian Apparitions, The Mary Page

May 30th: Wales - Our Lady of Cardigan

Our Lady of Cardigan can trace its origin to the middle ages. A beautiful legend tells us that by the side of the river TeIfi a statue was found of Mary, "and her sonne upon her lappe, and the... taper bernynge in her hande" It was brought to the church but would not remain there, returning three or four times to "the place where now is buyIded the church of our Lady". That church is called St. Mary's, and the visitor can still see at its east end a chantry built to hold the statue, where pilgrims came to make their devotions. A priest sang Mass there daily in honour of Our Lady.

St. Mary's dates from 1158. If it was built to accommodate the shrine then Our Lady of the Taper has an ancient history indeed. The statue was probably brought from Arras, where the devotion already existed, by Flemish wool merchants trading out of the port of Cardigan. ...

... In 1904 Breton monks, living in exile near Cardigan, revived the devotion. They named their abbey church Our Lady of Cardigan, and gave the same title to a little church they opened in the town in 1912. But they left some years later, and a generation passed before the name was heard again.

Martin Gillett, who later founded the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary, alerted Bishop Petit to the fact that Cardigan had once been a famous place of pilgrimage. Once Bishop Petit had the bit between his teeth swift action followed. On 27th May 1956, a great concourse of people from all parts of Britain came to re establish the devotion in Cardigan. On 20th July 1970, Bishop Petit came with Bishop Fox to consecrate a new shrine church. Three days later a pilgrimage saw the statue carried from its former location to rest in the new church.

The National Shrine of Wales website is the main source of information on Our Lady of Cardigan, and there is a page about her at the site of the Diocese of Menevia. She is also known as Our Lady of the Taper and in Welsh as Mair o Aberteifi. The name Mair was reserved to Our Lady, and girls named after her were called Mari.

In 1988 the plaque below was placed in the courtyard of the Basilica of the Annunciation at Nazareth, among others from national shrines around the world. This page at the National Shrine website explains the symbolism relating to the Catholic history of Wales.


Practice your Welsh with the Our Father and Hail Mary. Here is a Welsh pronunciation guide.

Pilgrim's Prayer

My soul glorifies the Lord.
Henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name.

V Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R Be it done to me according to your word.

Let us pray,

Father, your Son Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, is the Light of the world.

May the same Spirit lead us to imitate Mary's faith, love and humility that, guided by her example, we may follow the light of her Son on our journey through life, and come at last to see you as you are, and praise you in the everlasting kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
you offer your Son for our adoration,
May we too treasure his word in our hearts
and help bring his light to the world.

Our Lady of Cardigan, pray for Wales.
Our Lady of Cardigan, pray for us.

Cellular Reproduction

How can it be possible that we have somehow acquired a total of eight mobile (cell) phones for a family of five, one of whom is only a toddler. Admittedly only six actually work, and the toddler is delighted to be the proud owner of one of the non-functioning ones, but still!

Can anyone explain to me the biological process by which cell phones reproduce?

May 29th: Vietnam - Our Lady of La Vang

Picture: Boston Catholic Journal

Our Lady of La Vang is the central and national shrine of Vietnam, approximately 60 kilometers from the former capitol Huê. The name is derived from a type of fern which used to grow in great quantities in the region. During the great persecution (1798-1801) many Christians took refuge in the jungle situated in proximity of Quang Tri, a village in central Vietnam, where they experienced hunger and sickness, and prepared themselves for martyrdom. One day, as the community was assembled in prayer, the figure of a lady surrounded by many lights, appeared to them. She presented herself as the Mother of God, encouraged and consoled them, and gave them a special sign of her loving care. She advised the people to use the leaves of the fern to treat their ailments, and promised them to receive their prayers with maternal generosity. All who would congregate on this site to pray would be heard and their petitions granted. Mary appeared on several occasions at the same site. After the persecution in 1802, the Christians left their jungle hiding place and returned to their villages. However, the story of the apparition and its message was passed on. In 1820 a chapel was built at the apparition site. From 1820-1885 still another wave of persecution decimated the Christian population. More than 100,000 Vietnamese Christians died as martyrs. In 1885 the chapel in honor of Our Lady of La Vang was destroyed by a fanatic. A new chapel was built between 1886 and 1901 (consecration). Soon it was no longer able to hold the many pilgrims to La Vang, and in 1923 a new and bigger church was erected. It was consecrated in 1928 (August 22) in the presence of 20,000 pilgrims. Every three years a national pilgrimage was organized for the whole country which was to have a special meaning even after the separation of South and North. In 1959 La Vang was officially declared a national shrine, marking the 300 years of the Church's presence in Vietnam. The Church of La Vang was made a basilica minor in 1961. (The Mary Page)

Ann Ball at Holy Spirit International and this American Vietnamese website give more detail.

This article gives the history of Catholicism in Vietnam since it was first introduced there in the sixteenth century. Many thousands of Catholics were martyred during the long persecution of the Church in Vietnam, including St. Andrew Dung Lac and his companions. Through Catholic Greetings you can send an eCard with a picture of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, your own message, and this quote: "Each martyr has offered the same simple—and profound—lessons: Be not afraid. You are not alone. Your faith is your greatest treasure. Embrace it, celebrate it, live it openly. Trust in God."

The Church in Vietnam is growing, and the government now takes a fairly benign approach. Today there are 8 million Catholics in the country out of a population of 86 million. Read more here.

Prayer
Blessed Lady of Lavang be my mother and comfort me, especially in times of trial and unhappiness. Enter my heart and stay with me wherever I may go. Grant that one day, through you, I may find rest and peace in my Father's house. (Holy Spirit International)

May 28th: United States - Our Lady of La Leche

Feast Day: October 11th (Feast of the Motherhood of Mary)

Picture: Our Lady of La Leche Shrine

Shrine in St. Augustine, Florida, dedicated to Nuestra Senora de la Leche, whose full title is "Our Lady, the Nursing Mother of Happy Delivery." It dates from 1565, when St. Augustine was founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who was accompanied by four diocesan priests. The shrine is part of America's oldest mission, Nombre de Dios, where the first Mass was celebrated. Central to the shrine is an image of the Madonna about to nurse her Child. The original image, from Madrid, and first chapel have been destroyed. But the new statue, in the present chapel built in 1915, is an exact replica of the original one. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

The full title of Our Lady of La Leche is Nuestra Senora de la Leche y buen parto (Our Lady of the Milk and Happy Delivery).

The Our Lady of La Leche shrine allows you to pay a virtual visit.

A statue of Our Lady of Leche recently inspired the formation of the Our Lady of La Leche Movement in the Philippines, which runs an outreach ministry taking a pilgrim statue to maternity hospitals, homes of unwed mothers and private homes. There is a little more about the movement here. The La Leche League, formed to promote and support breastfeeding mothers takes its name from Our Lady of La Leche.

Prayer for Motherhood

Lovely Lady of La Leche, most loving mother of the Child Jesus, and my mother, listen to my humble prayer. Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need. To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother, has your Divine Son given to understand the sentiments which fill my soul. Yours was the sacred privilege of being the Mother of the Savior. Intercede with him now, my loving Mother, that, in accordance with His will, I may become the mother of other children of our heavenly Father. This I ask, O Lady of La Leche, in the Name of your Divine Son, My Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

Mama Panya's Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya by Mary Chamberlin

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

I ordered this from the library because Little Cherub loves pancakes. When it arrived it looked too wordy and "old" for a nearly two year old, and she showed no interest. After sitting in her book basket for a couple of months she suddenly latched on to it and has wanted it re-read regularly. I don't know how much she gets of the story, but it is a lovely book for illustrating generosity. A Kenyan boy goes shopping with his mother and ends up inviting all their friends for pancakes. His mother worries that all their food will be used up, but the friends all bring a little something with them. At the end there are notes on Kenyan village life, animals and plants to look for in the illustrations, and Swahili words and phrases. A book we will come back to again later, I'm sure.

View all my reviews.

May 27th: Sri Lanka - Our Lady of Madhu

Picture: Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu

Best known shrine of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). When the Dutch conquered Ceylon and began to stamp out Catholicism, a small band of native Catholics converted by the Portuguese took to the jungle, carrying a statue of the Madonna with them. Eventually a church was built to house it. As no one can live in the jungle during the wet season, Mary is alone for months, but when the rains pass, Moslems and Hindus as well as Catholics journey to Madhu. The pilgrimage is planned to take a month. They sing hymns, chant the Rosary as they trudge through the deep tangled growth. The statue is of Our Lady of the Rosary. There is a custom that the sick must remain outside the church and chant their entreaties loud enough for Mary to hear them. The dust outside the little church is a proven cure for poisonous snakebites. During World War II daily prayers were effectively offered at Madhu that Ceylon would be saved from a Japanese invasion. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

Our Lady of Madhu has recently been in the news as the area has been at the centre of fighting between the Sri Lankan military and insurgents. As recently as last month (April 2008) the statue of Our Lady has had to be moved from the shrine for safe keeping, and a local priest was killed in an ambush. The shrine is now back in government hands, but there is controversy over the failure of the local bishop to return the statue. In 2001 the statue was taken on a peace tour of the country. Although fighting lessened for a time, the civil war between the Sinhalese majority government and the Tamil Tigers resumed and has now lasted for 25 years. BBC News gives a Sri Lankan Timeline that includes a history of the conflict.

The shrine website does not seem to have caught up with current events, and shows the shrine still looking pristine. In fact it has been severely damaged in recent fighting.

Don't miss the rules to be observed by visitors to the shrine, which are rather different to those of the typical Marian shrine in the west. They include: "In the interests of hygiene, avoid rearing ducks, dogs and cattle. You are requested to keep your poultry in cages and the cattle tied in the allotted places."

Little Beaver and the Echo by Amy MacDonald

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars



A lovely story about a lonely little beaver who finds some new friends, with beautiful watercolour illustrations.

View all my reviews.

The Winter King and the Summer Queen by Mary Lister

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars

The winter king and the summer queen compete to impose their weather on the world, until they find peace at the end of the rainbow. Although the story was initially written for a literacy workshop, this works well as a picture book. The overall effect is kind of Waldorfy.

View all my reviews.

May 26th: Spain - Our Lady of the Pillar

Feast Day: October 12th

Picture: Hispanic Online

Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pillar, near Saragossa in northeastern Spain, where Mary is said to have appeared in early Christian times, asking that a church be built there in her honor. After the vision, the jasper pillar on which she stood remained and it became a most coveted relic. A church was built as requested and the pillar was enshrined within it. It is a six-foot-high stone column almost completely unadorned, now nearly encased in silver. On top of it is an ancient black wooden statue of Mary about fifteen inches tall, covered with gold leaf. So varied is her wardrobe that she wears different attire every day. The devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar, initiated at Saragossa, was brought to the New World by the Spanish explorers, and their missions boast of many miracles worked through Mary's favor. Some of the most incredible ones at the mother shrine have been authenticated by sworn testimony. The Virgin of the Pillar is recurrent as a theme in prayer, songs, and patriotic expressions. She was often invoked in battle emergencies. The heart of Don John of Austria, the Christian victor at Lepanto, rests near the sacred pillar in this sanctuary. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

Read more about Our Lady of the Pillar - the first ever Marian apparition - at Catholic Culture.

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, the founder of the Marianists, is believed to have received a private revelation at the shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar. The Sodality of Our Lady of the Pillar, "a community of Catholic men and women under the patronage of Our Lady of the Pillar and committed to the service of the Church in the world" takes its inspiration from Chaminade's sodalities and is under the direction of the Marianists.

" A true Christian cannot live any life but the life of Our Savior Jesus. When we try to imitate Him the divine plan is carried out in our lives. The Blessed Virgin is our Model. She is a very exact copy of her Son Jesus. When we are devoted to Mary we will imitate Jesus." (Bl. William Chaminade)

This Wikipedia article gives the history of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar at Zaragoza, which you can see in detail in this YouTube movie.


At the Mary Page there is an article about the association of columns with Our Lady.

Prayer

O Virgin Mother of El Pilar, deigning to appear to Thy beloved disciple, St. James, promising him the victory over paganism, and blessing so abundantly his labors for the spread of the True Catholic Faith, secure for us also, who are the children of that same Faith, the victory over our many foes and the paganism that is laying waste the harvest of souls in our day.

Through the intercession of Thine Apostle, St. James, the "Son of Thunder", may we as clouds flying through the air at the least breath of the Holy Ghost, establish everywhere the true devotion to Thy Immaculate Heart that Jesus wills for the conversion of all sinners. Amen.

Dios Te Salve Maria...

This prayer is said on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays throughout the month of October, and as a triduum before the Feast of Our Lady of El Pilar. (Salve Maria Regina)

Domestic Trivia

My neighbour phoned at 10pm last night to say that Angel had conked out on J-next-door's bed, and would she like me to leave her there? So much for Miss Energetic!

Little Cherub is now getting stuck into full sentences. Unfortunately, the majority of them begin with "I want ...", as in "I want go out now!". Little Miss Bossy is taking over.

Tevye, Mr Non-Technical himself, has plumbed a new low in his attempts to confront life's technological challenges ... defeated by a deodorant aerosol. Turned out it had an on-off switch that he failed to notice until he had done a demolition job on the button. Just imagine the effect he has on computers.

Diaper Dilemna

(We call them nappies, but that didn't have the same alliterative ring!)

The dilemna - what to do with a miniature sized toddler? We chugged along quite happily with Size 4 nappies for several months after she finally grew into them. Now she is about to turn two and has acquired the leaner shape of an active toddler ... leaving an unfortunate gap where the elastic no longer grips around her legs. I'll leave the effects of that to your imagination.

I tried switching her back to Size 3. They fit beautifully with no elastic gaps, but ... um ... don't have the capacity to cope with a toddler with an excellent appetite.

Leaving me stuck.

Too large with a leak-prone gap? Overloaded? Ugh!

And yes, I have tried several different brands. Same problem. I suspect cloth nappies would be a solution, but don't want to invest either the money or the effort to master them at this stage.

Roll on potty training! (Did I really say that?)

May 25th: Russia - Our Lady of Vladimir

Feast Day: May 21st

A sacred icon of Mary and her Son which has a long and venerable tradition in Russian history. It was probably painted at the beginning of the twelfth century and brought to Kiev in the Ukraine from Constantinople. Then it was taken as a gift to the ruling prince of the city of Vladimir, east of Moscow, where it remained until the time of the invasion of Tamerlane, who was approaching Moscow. The icon was then transferred from Vladimir to Moscow. Tamerlane halted his armies and Moscow was saved (1395). The icon remained in Moscow. On three other occasions, in 1451, 1459, and 1480, the Tatars menaced Moscow, but the city was saved through the intercession of Our Lady of Vladimir. As a sign of gratitude three feasts came to be celebrated in her honor annually, on May 21, June 23, and August 26. At the time of the Russian Revolution, the Communists took the icon from the Cathedral of the Assumption and placed it in the Tretiakov Art Gallery, where it is now on display. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

Catholic Culture includes this article on Our Lady of Vladimir from Shrines to Our Lady by Zsolt Aradi, and this Mary Page entry includes a meditation on the picture. The icon is an eleousa, meaning "Mother of Tenderness". This site is a good starting point to learn more about iconography techniques.

You can learn about the town of Vladimir here. It was the medieval capital of Russia, and is now a World Heritage site. A Russian website gives a detailed history and description of the Cathedral of the Assumption where the icon was originally kept.

At Catholic.net there is an article on the current state of the Catholic Church in Russia, based on a 1998 conference talk. The Armenian Catholic Church in Russia has a informative website; articles include the history of the Armenian Church and the story of the 20th century martyr Bishop Ignatius Maloyan.

Prayer to Our Lady of Vladimir

Mary, Queen of Heaven, we honour Your icon before which the Russian people pray. We beg You to look with favour and motherly care on that great country and to lead it to faith and friendship with us all. We are blessed to have Your Russian image in a place of honour, to pray to You and to work with You for the conversion of Russia and the peace of the world. (Richard Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston)

The Penny Dropped

... and I realised I had a handle on the differences between Montessori, Charlotte Mason and Waldorf style education, as illustrated by nature study:

Montessori: Learn to identify wildflowers using three part cards and matching cards. Learn the parts of a flower with botany puzzles. Draw and label the parts of a flower.

Charlotte Mason: Learn to identify wildflowers through spending lots of time outdoors or on nature walks. Draw them freehand in a nature notebook.

Waldorf: Learn to identify wildflowers through spending time in nature. Listen to stories about fairies and gnomes living in the flowers. Paint pictures of flowers using wet-on-wet techniques.

May 24th: Portugal - Our Lady of Fatima

Feast Day: May 13th

Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the mountain region of central Portugal near Cova da Iria. It was the scene of six apparitions of Our Lady, from May 13 to October 13, 1917, to three peasant children, Lucia Santos, Jacinta Marto, and her brother Francisco. During the apparitions Mary told the children to have processions in honor of her Immaculate Conception and to tell the faithful to do penance and pray the Rosary because otherwise the world would be chastised for its sins. During the October apparition seventy thousand people witnessed a spectacular solar phenomenon. In 1930 the bishops of Portugal declared the apparitions to be authentic, and in 1942 Pope Pius XII, in response to Mary's request, consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 1967 Pope Paul VI personally visited and worshiped at the shrine on the fiftieth anniversary of the apparitions. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

At Holy Spirit Interactive, read the story of Fatima and an explanation of the Pilgrim Virgin statues. The website of Theotokos Books includes an extensive Fatima section with many links, including a timetable of events, and all the words spoken by Our Lady.

There are plenty of books on Fatima for children, including Our Lady Came to Fatima by Ruth Fox Hume (Vision Books series), The Children of Fatima by Mary Fabyan Windeatt, and a colouring book, Our Lady of Fatima, also by Mary Fabyan Windeatt. A free stained-glass window style coloring page is available here (from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Front Royal, VA).

At Lewiston, NY, there is a Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, and the Upper Church of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Washington has a bronze statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

A couple of bloggers have recently posted craft ideas: at Sweetness and Light, Meredith's daughter made this pretty tea box shrine for Our Lady of Fatima; Alice of Cottage Blessings made Marian lanterns with her homeschool group.

If food is your thing, learn how to make Portugese carne vinho de alhos (meat in white wine and garlic sauce) at Catholic Cuisine.

Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

O Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima
and reveal a glorious message.
We implore you,
inspire in our hearts a fervent love
for the recitation of the Rosary.
By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption
that are recalled therein
may we obtain the graces and virtues that we ask,
through the merits of Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Redeemer.

Charlotte Mason, Montessori, and Early Schooling

This thread at the 4Real Forums on Montessori and Waldorf sent me on a Charlotte Mason rabbit trail ... I knew that Charlotte Mason once sent a letter to The Times expressing her views on Montessori education, but had never seen it. The link to the original text is broken, but at Bona Vita Rusticanda Est the blog author has posted an extensive paraphrase.

Ideas about early education, particularly Waldorf and Montessori, have been flitting around in my head again lately. Aspects of both attract me - sometimes in quite contradictory ways - and reading Charlotte Mason's thoughts has helped me to get mine in order. I'll write more about this later, but for now I just wanted to post some quotes.

These two made me want to send bold-print, shouted emails to the scarily named Department for Children, Schools and Families, which is heavily pushing early schooling and an early literacy agenda. (Incidentally I don't agree that early literacy is the main appeal of Montessori education - though that may have been the case at the time CM was writing.)

"Her children can read and write by age four or five, while our own children don't master those skills until age eight. That's what appeals to us about her method. But we forget that education is more than the mechanics of reading and writing. Such skills don't educate any more than mastering shorthand, or Morse Code. But we get excited thinking that, by teaching these mechanics earlier, we'll gain two or three years of school life."

"No child under the age of six should go to a school that doesn't allow him the full freedom to run, or squat, or lay face down on the floor if the mood strikes him."

(paraphrase of CM's letter to the Times)

The next quotes are taken from Home Education (vol.1 of the CM Series) and come from the Ambleside Online Year 0 page:

"Let him go and come freely, let him touch real things, and combine his impressions for himself, instead of sitting indoors at a little round table while a sweet-voiced teacher suggests that he build a stone wall with his wooden blocks, or make a rainbow out of strips of coloured paper, or plant straw trees in bead flower-pots. Such teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of before the child can develop indepndent ideas out of actual experiences." (p.196)

"'A child will have taught himself to paint, paste, cut paper, knit, weave, hammer and saw, make lovely things in clay and sand, build castles with his bricks; possibly too, will have taught himself to read, write, and do sums, besides acquiring no end of knowledge and notions about the world he lives in, by the time he is six or seven. What I contend for is that he shall do these things because he chooses (provided that the standard of perfection in his small works be set before him)." (p.194)

May 23rd: Poland - Our Lady of Czestochowa

Feast Day: August 26th

Shrine of the Black Madonna, also called Our Lady of Jasna Gora, chief Marian sanctuary of Poland. There is a legend that the picture of Our Lady and her Son at the shrine was painted by St. Luke on a tabletop made by Jesus himself when he was an apprentice carpenter to St. Joseph. Hidden during the early persecutions, it was brought by St. Helena (255-330) to Constantinople. In the troubled eighth century it was stealthily taken from that city to a forest in Eastern Poland. From there it was removed to Częstochowa. In 1430 a great Gothic cathedral was built around the precious relic, but in the war with the Hussites they stole the picture. When their horses refused to move their cargo beyond the village boundaries, they threw the picture by the roadside, where it lay broken. All attempts to repair the damage have failed. In the next three hundred years the Polish people believed that their welfare was identified with this miraculous picture. When the Turks were at the gates of Vienna, Sobieski (1624-96), the Polish king, dedicated his crusade to Mary, and the West was saved. Under Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) the people came secretly on their pilgrimages to Częstochowa, and in 1945, at the end of World War II, they came 500,000 strong to thank Mary for their liberation. In 1947 over 1,500,000 came there to beg Mary to save them from Communism. Public pilgrimages to Częstochowa are forbidden, but the shrine is still unharmed. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

Today the shrine of Our Lady at Czestochowa is a busy place of pilgrimage. You can see pictures of the shrine at the Sacred Destinations Travel Guide.

This Mary Page article about Our Lady of Czestochowa is part of a series on Black Madonnas.

One of my favourite English Catholic authors, Hilaire Belloc, wrote a Ballade to Our Lady of Czestochowa. Here is the first verse:

Lady and Queen of Mystery manifold
And very Regent of the untroubled sky,
Whom in a dream St. Hilda did behold
And heard a woodland music passing by:
You shall receive me when the clouds are high
With evening and the sheep attain the fold.
This is the faith that I have held and hold.
And this is that in which I mean to die.

In America there is a National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa at Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and a chapel dedicated to her at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington. From the shrine website comes this prayer:

Prayer to Our Lady of Czestochowa

HOLY MOTHER of Czestochowa,
Thou art full of grace, goodness and mercy.
I consecrate to Thee all my thoughts, words and actions
---- my soul and body.
I beseech Thy blessings
and especially prayers for my salvation.

Today, I consecrate myself to Thee, Good Mother, totally
---- with body and soul, amid joy and sufferings,
to obtain for myself and others Thy blessings
on this earth and eternal life in Heaven. Amen.

May 22nd: Philippines - La Naval de Manila

Feast Day: Second Sunday of October

Picture: Francis Jason Diaz Perez III (from La Naval de Manila Online)

Of the twenty-three canonically crowned images of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines, the image of the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary – La Naval de Manila hold primacy in history and beauty. One hundred years ago, on October 5, 1907, such image with its distinct Oriental features, became the first canonically crowned Marian image of the country and in Asia.

Crowning a Marian image is the Church’s recognition of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as Queen of Heaven and Earth. The Pope thru a Papal bull, expresses and joins the faithful of a certain place in affirming the devotion to Mary. Pope Pius XII explains: Jesus is King throughout all eternity by nature and by right of conquest; through Him, with Him, and subordinate to Him, Mary is Queen by grace, by divine relationship, by right of conquest, and by singular choice (of the Father). And her kingdom is as vast as that of her Son and God, since nothing is excluded from her dominion. (May 13, 1946 from the Vatican Radio Message to Fatima, where he sent a Cardinal legate for the crowning of the image).

Mary’s Queenship is in the spirit of sharing in the royalty of her Son, chosen by God. It is for such reason that the church realizes the divine motherhood of Mary. Just as we worship Jesus as King, so we venerate Mary, His Mother. Through the Canonical Coronation Rites, a Marian image exemplifies the faith and hope of a locality entrusted to Mary’s maternal love and protection.

The image of Our Lady of the Rosary – La Naval de Manila assumed its historical significance in the triumphant battles of La Naval in the Philippine seas in 1646. The combined Filipino-Spanish forces against the Dutch marauders led the victory of the five naval battles known in history as the "Battles of La Naval". The Church council of 1662 declared it as miraculous and ordered it to be preached and celebrated in solemn festivities which endures for over three centuries. Eventually, the historically old and acclaimed image that serves as a beacon of faith among the people was canonically crowned on October 5, 1907 by the order of Pope Pius X through Msgr. Ambrose Agius, OSB.

In 1941, her shrine in Intramuros was bombed. She was safely hidden for a time in the old church's vault, and later transferred to the UST (University of Santo Tomas) chapel. In 1954, La Naval was led in solemn procession to Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City which was declared as the National Shrine of the Queen of the Holy Rosary. In 1973, La Naval was acknowledged as the Patroness of Quezon City. In 1986, a replica of the image of La Naval was present when Jaime Cardinal Sin called for "people power".

Through the years, Filipinos pay homage to Our Lady in the annual La Naval festivities manifesting our fervent spirituality and tradition. In the Philippines where there exists no royal lineage and amassed in poverty, the queenly stature of Mary may be found paradoxical. However, it is in God’s great promise of a glorious resurrection that we find fitting praise for our Blessed Mother, which one day we hope to share with her. (Radio Maria Philippines)

I have not been able to find many links for La Naval de Manila. There is an article in the There's Something About Mary series by Ann Ball at Holy Spirit International, and lots of information at the La Naval de Manila Online blog;

There are a number of movies on YouTube showing La Naval de Manila, including this short clip of the feast day procession and this photo montage.

October 2007 saw the centennial celebrations of the veneration of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary - La Naval de Manila.

In the picture above the statue of Our Lady is wearing the "Number 2" vestments. These are in need of restoration and not currently in use.

Prayer
La Naval de Manila, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines, Mirror of Justice, help us to pray for the greatest victory, the victory of Your Son's Peace in the Philippines and the entire world. We ask you to help us remember that one of your most blessed titles is Queen of Peace. (from Holy Spirit International)

May 21st: New Zealand - Pukekaraka

On a hill in the small New Zealand town of Otaki sits the Shrine of Mary, known as Pukekaraka "the hill where the Karaka trees grow;" the Karaka tree is sacred to the Maori. Otaki, established in 1844, is one of the first mission stations of the Fathers and Brothers of the Society of Mary (Marists). The missionaries came to New Zealand in 1838, from France, and they brought the Catholic faith to the Polynesian people, called the Maori. The first church was dedicated to Mary, Our Lady of Victories. A grotto was built in 1904. It was then enlarged and moved to a different hill in 1905. The Grotto, named "The Grotto of Lourdes" is a reflection of the French Marists devotion to Mary.

The Wall of Reconciliation and Peace was built in 1910, and stands in front of the Grotto It was built to signify reconciliation between the local Maori, and the end of the war between the Mua-Upoko and Raukawa tribes. Because this was a sacred place, no weapons were to be taken inside in the Grotto. In 1999, a cairn of stones was placed in front of the Wall of Reconciliation and Peace to signify the desire for the unity of all Christians. Representatives from other churches and congregations brought stones from their localities and placed them in this stack. This was done to unite the Maori people not only to their immediate neighbors but to their European neighbors as well.

The Catholic Community of Pukekaraka is one of the oldest places of Catholic worship in New Zealand, with the Mary shrine being the most important in the country. The Hui Aranga, (Annual Easter Gatherings of Catholic Maori) had its origin at Otaki. Miracles have been reported; aman named Ngakuru Pene Hare of Pangaru of North Auckland, was suffering from a terminal disease, and was cured. He went to Otaki, and prayed the Rosary with flower petals because he did not have a Rosary. He is still alive and in good health forty years later; he met with Father James Durning and told him his story. (Mary Page)

This is a very short entry as the only information I could find on the internet was this one page. Our Lady of Pukekaraka fitted so well with my round-the-world theme that I felt she deserved to be included despite this.

In the local Maori language Our Lady is called "Hine Nui O Te Ao Katoa", meaning "Mary, Great Mother of the Whole World". The cloak worn by the statue is the cloak of honour of a Maori Chieftainess.