Sanktuaria Matki Bożej w diecezji częstochowskiej

Abstract

In the territory of the Częstochowa diocese is the famous sanctuary devoted to the cult of the Virgin Mary at Jasna Góra. It is well known in every part of Poland and all over the world. It has become the central place of the Polish religious life. In this diocese there have been developped various forms of the cult of Our Lady of Częstochowa. In 1923 bishop Stanisław Zdzitowiecki of Włocławek crowned with papai crowns the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Dominican Church of Gidle. The sanctuary has also been known for centuries in the whole of Poland. Since the beginning of the Częstochowa diocese two statues and one image of the Holy Virgin have been crowned with papal crowns. They are the statue of Our Lady in the Pauline Church at Leśniów, the statue of Our Lady of Angels at Dąbrowa Górnicza and the image of Our Lady of Consolation at Wieluń. They were crowned by the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński with the participation of the present Pope, the ex-metropolitan bishop of Kraków, Cardinal Wojtyła and the Częstochowa Bishop, Stefan Barela. In the Częstochowa diocese there are four centres of the Holy Virgin’s cult, in which the images of Our Lady are worshipped. They are Czastary, Danków, Mstów and Truskolasy. In otber parishes there are various images of the Virgin Mary considered, voce populi, to be miraculous. They are in Grodziec, Kłobuck, Łubnice (the statue), Mrzygłód, Pajęczno, Praszka, Rozprza, Ruda and Sulmierzyce. The images of Our Lady at Pajęczno and Sulmierzyce will probably be crowned in a short time.