I'm not catholic. I'm not especially religious. But the historical aspects of religion do fascinate me. So when I saw a brochure inviting me to visit Black Madonna of Czestochowa Shrine & Grottos.... well, I just had to go and find out what it's all about. So, Saturday after Jane's puppy class, I put the tired out puppy in her crate to sleep and headed out to Eureka, Missouri to visit the shrine.
The shrine and grottos were built by hand over a 23 year span by Brother Bronislaus Luscze, O.S.F. (Order of St. Francis). Brother Bronislaus was part of group of Franciscan brothers invited by the Archbishop of St. Louis, Cardinal Jon J. Glennon, to emigrate from Poland to establish a nursing home. The following is taken from the tour guide: "Bronislaus was a man driven by an overwhelming faith and love for Our Blessed Mother Mary. In his native Poland, Mary is revered as the Queen of Peace and Mercy. Her most famous shrine is at the Jasna Gora monastery in the town of Czestochowa (chen-sta-ho-va). As a young man, Bronislaus would sit by the road and watch pilgrims as they passed through his village...overcoming tremendous hardship...to reach their goal. The memories...remained with him throughout his life."
My main question, and I'm sure, most people's question, is...Why Black Madonna? I've never seen any black saints or religious images in Catholicism. Well, apparently it refers to the skin tones. Since Mary, Jesus and Joseph lived in what is now the Middle East, their skin tone would have been dark brown or olive. Additionally, the oil paints used when the original painting was made(by St. Luke) tended to darken with age. AND...the painting was in a major fire in Constantinople, along with the tens of thousands of pots of incense and candles burned before it in offering. All of these contributed to the further darkening of the image of Mary. And it now referred to as the Black Madonna - seen here in the outdoor chapel.
The original painting has a rich and varied history. I won't dredge it all up here, but if you are interested in history, it's a fascinating read. While at the Shrine, I met Brother Tom, one of the laymen monks, who lives at the Shrine - and has since 1962. He is the resident caretaker - taking his meals at the monastery up the road, and working 3 days a week elsewhere to support his keep. Brother Tom is quite the talker - but I must say it was wonderful to listen to him talk about the history of the Shrine here. And he has quite the history himself - having been a Monk, and also in the navy. When he came here, he worked in the nursing home here. His favorite floor was the psych ward. He had lots of favorite stories and memories of working there. He liked to sit with the residents. Just sit, and accept them. It's nice to be around and listen to someone with such a good heart. It felt peaceful to be in his presence. He apologized for talking so much - and for holding me up - as I had to wait while he told his stories to two ladies in front of me in the gift shop. I assured him that I was enjoying listening and was not in a hurry.
The grottos are made from Missouri Cliff Rock, from Old Mines, Missouri about 30 miles away. Mixed in with the rock are shells, rocks, costume jewelry, colored glass, etc - all donated by visitors or sent from foreign missions. Keep in mind, this was built by hand - without power tools or assistance!!! There are lots of statues of Jesus (crucifiction, nativity, gethsemane), of Mary (Mother's sanctuary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Sorrows, the Assumption) and of St. Francis of Assissi.
I walked around in the autumnal sunshine, absorbing the peaceful surroundings. The quiet was broken only by the buzzing of bees and the occasional cry of a hawk. I was amazed to see that the statues of the crucifix were covered in lady bugs!
By the end of my visit, I was the only tourist there. So I sat for a while in the company of the statues. Brother Tom wished me a safe journey, adjured me to be safe driving alone on the roads, and blessed me. And somehow, the world seems right.
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