The image of Our Lady of Chełm: history, tradition, cult Cover Image

Икона Матери Божьей Холмской: история, традиция, культ
The image of Our Lady of Chełm: history, tradition, cult

Author(s): Waldemar Witold Żurek
Subject(s): History, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Theology and Religion
Published by: Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II - Wydział Teologii
Keywords: crowned images of the Virgin Mary in Poland; the history of Chełm; the parish of the Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chełm

Summary/Abstract: In 2015, in Chełm (the town in the south-eastern part of Poland), in the Polish-Ukrainian borderland, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the coronation of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Chełm. On this occasion we also learnt about the history of this image. Its copy, made in 1939, is now in the Roman Catholic parish church in Chełm - in the Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cult of our Lady of Chełm dates back to the early 11th century and the information about miraculous power of the image appeared in the 13th century. The first book to describe the history of the cult of this image and miracles was the one written by Jakub Szusza (Phoenix ...), published in 1646 in Zamość. The author includes information about 693 miracles through the intercession of Our Lady of Chełm. Most of them concern human health. A significant number of them are also connected with miraculous healing of animals. Another group refers to miraculous events on the battlefield. In addition, Our Lady of Chełm was considered to have the power to stop the plague and heal the sick, to fight fire, find stolen things and make people convert (return) to Catholicism. Chełm was the destination for pilgrims from the region of Chełm and larger Polish cities such as Sambor, Warsaw, Krakow, Vilnius, Pińsk. In the history of the image of Our Lady of Chełm and its worship by the Orthodox faithful, the Greek Catholics and the Roman Catholics, the image of the Virgin Mary travelled through the cities, towns, battlefields and stopped where the Polish kings were stationed. There image of Our Lady of Chełm had no permanent place in the selected church. Throughout the centuries, the image travelled through 32 towns and cities of Poland, returning three times to Chełm, where it is still worshiped by the believers.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 107
  • Page Range: 373-387
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Russian