in Lichen has numbered among the most special places among the Marian Shrines worldwide.
Here we find the small image of Our Lady, often referred to by pilgrims as the Sorrowful Mother of Poland. The title given to her by the pilgrims could have been self given: Mary is adorned with a crown; she cradles a white eagle to her bosom, whilst on her cloak we find the symbol of Christ’s Passion. The cult associated with the image and the honour given to Our Lady has its particular history, which dates back to the beginnings of the XIXth century.
The first appearance of Mary took place after the battle of Lipsk in 1813. Among those armies taking part in this bloody battle were the so called Polish „legiony”(Legions), who suffered horrendous casualties. One of these soldiers, Tomasz Kłossowski, a smith by profession, was badly injured and sought the intercession of Our Holy Mother asking for safe deliverance. Overcome by suffering he saw an apparition in the form of Mary moving around the battlefield, which promised him help and committed him to searching for her image. After many years of searching the miraculously saved legionary found an image depicting the form of Mary that he had seen on the battlefield at Lipsk. Finding the image near to Czestochowa he brought it back to his hometown of Izabelin where he paid specific devotion to it. After a number of years Tomasz Kłossowski brought the image to the Grablin woods, situated 3km away. He then housed the image in a small shrine nailed to a pine tree.
In 1850 the site at which the image was kept was swept by apparitions. The Holy Mother as depicted in the image housed in the little shrine, appeared three times to a shepherd Michal Sikatke, through whom she called all people to penance, prayer and conversion. The miraculous nature of the image was further enhanced two years later during a cholera epidemic which wiped out the local population. The events linked to the epidemic were predicted by The Mother of God through the shepherd Mikolaj Sikatke in 1850. The infirm and endangered populace began to gather at the apparition site, before the image housed in the small shrine on the pine tree in the nearby woods. Faith, fervent prayer and honour to Our Lady brought health and necessary graces to the local people. The image began to gain more devotions, and its fame began to spread to all the nearby villages. In view of this rise in devotion and also due to the images safety it was moved to the local Parish church of Lichen in 1852. From that moment the image has been honoured with specific unceasing devotion. The faithful come to ask for graces needed for them and their loved ones through the intercession of Our Most Holy Mother.
The effectiveness of Our Lady of Lichen’s intercession awakened among the faithful a deep faith and sense of gratitude. Their belief in the holiness and miraculous nature of this place resulted in their frequent return. The pilgrims, in line with the call of Our Lady for conversion and penance often began their stay at the Shrine with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. With a cleansed soul, often after long and private prayer, with tears in their eyes they shared the yearnings of their heart at the foot of Our Lady’s image. God chose this place to pour out his bountiful graces through the hands of Our Lady of Lichen and through her intercession.
In line with the celebrations of 1000 years of Polish Christianity, on the 15th August 1967 the Image received a papal crown. The coronation was performed by the Primate of Poland Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, who as an alumni of the Wloclaw seminary had worked in Lichen and personally was cured of what was in those times an incurable disease.
In 1999 Pope John Paul II visited the Shrine and blessed the Church that was under construction. The Holy Father spent two nights in Lichen and during his stay the miraculous image was brought to the Pope’s private chapel in the Papal apartment. On the construction of the church the Pope said: „Brothers and sisters I thank God’s Providence that on my pilgrimage to my homeland I have come to this shrine, that I am able to meet with you surrounded by Spring’s nature on this beautifully painted hillside, among fields and woods in order to bless this new church devoted to the devotion to the Mother of God. I look at this massive construction with awe, which in its architectural splendor is a sign of faith and love towards Mary and her Son. Thanks be to God for this Shrine.”
The present church in Lichen is under the Patronage of the Most Holy Lady of Lichen, where the miraculous image is housed, and it is the largest church in Poland. Due to its importance in the life of the Church John Paul II raised it to the rank of Basilica Minor in 2005.
The expansion of the Shrine and the increase in numbers of Pilgrims coming to Lichen are first and foremost an act of God himself. Mary chosen as the Mother of God’s Son and also the mother of all those who believe, leads her children and unceasingly intercedes on their behalf. Her overwhelming intercession in this place bears fruit not only in the souls and lives of specific people, but also in the immense sign that is the Basilica itself, which against all rational thinking stood up from the fields surrounding this small village.
There are no impossible tasks for God. To receive God’s blessing becomes the main goal of millions of pilgrims, as they call on the intercession of Mary to bring their petitions before the Lord. She never fails to remind the pilgrims that without God’s blessings all human endeavours are bound to fail. God’s love and his unceasing mercy open the doors for people to experience true and eternal happiness. It is this beautiful work of salvation that we continue to realise in our own lives, and in this the Holy Mother participates at our sides. It is through her perfect intercession, full of love and in 1673... trust that the pilgrims ask their God for graces needed by them their loved ones and their friends.
The curators of the Shrine are the Marian Fathers, founded by Blessed Fr Stanislaw Papczynski in 1673. This religious Congregation is the oldest, monastic community still alive to be founded by a Pole. The Congregation of the Marian Fathers has a Marian character. Its goal is to widen the devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, help to lead apostolic endeavours and to pray for the deceased.
No comments:
Post a Comment