The Monastery of Jasna Góra in Częstochowa, Poland, is the third-largest Catholic pilgrimage site inwards the world. Home to the love miraculous icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the monastery is besides the national shrine of Poland in addition to the oculus of Polish Catholicism.
According to tradition, the icon of Jasna Góra was painted by Luke the Evangelist on a tabletop built past times Jesus himself, in addition to the icon was discovered past times St. Helen, woman raise of Emperor Constantine in addition to collector of Christian relics inwards the Holy Land. The icon was hence enshrined inwards the royal metropolis of Constantinople, according to the legend, where it remained for the adjacent 500 years.
The large baroque monastery of Jasna Góra dominates a hilltop inwards Częstochowa in addition to is ever bustling amongst pilgrims in addition to worshippers. As pilgrims approach the monastery, the almost smasher sight is the 106-meter belltower, reconstructed inwards 1906 (the bottom usage dates from 1714). The 2d grade contains iv clocks, 1 on each side, that grade the passage of each xv minutes amongst Marian melodies. Inside the 3rd grade are statues of St. Paul the Hermit, St. Florian, St. Casimir in addition to the Saint-Queen Hedvig; the 5th grade has statues of the church building fathers St. Leo the Great, St. Gregory, St. Augustine in addition to St. Ambrose.
Every day, from early on inwards the morn to belatedly inwards the evening, a stready stream of pilgrims approaches the shrine of Częstochowa via the tree-lined primary avenue. The groups instruct out a few hundred feet inwards betwixt them, hence equally non to disturb the others equally they pray the rosary in addition to sing hymns. Young men demeanour batteries in addition to speakers to Pb the singing.
Pilgrims wear badges with the mention of their town in addition to a publish showing how many times they bring come upwards on pilgrimage to Częstochowa — many bring come upwards every yr for decades. After venerating the icon inwards the Chapel of the Black Madonna, pilgrims unremarkably pivot their badges to the walls equally a votive offering.
photo Urszula Beatrycze Szterner, OC; Official Website of Jasna Góra