Pope sends message to Poland for Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa

Pope Francis sent a video message to pilgrims participating in celebrations for the Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa on Saturday at her shrine in the central Polish city.

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the coronation of the Black Madonna, as the icon of Our Lady which is kept in the shrine in the monastery of Jasna Gora.

In his remarks, the Holy Father says: “The sacred image, in fact, shows us that Mary is not a distant Queen, who sits on a throne, but the Mother who embraces the Son, and with Him, all of us, her children... She is a true Mother, with her visage signed, a Mother who suffers because she truly takes to heart the problems of our lives. She is a Mother who is close by, who never lets us out of her sight – a tender Mother, who holds us by the hand on our daily journey.”

Pope Francis goes on to say: “Let this be the propitious time, in which to feel that no one of us is an orphan.”

A year ago, Pope Francis celebrated Mass at Czestochowa during his visit to Poland for World Youth Day.

See also: ICN 19 January 2017 - Poland marks 300th anniversary of Coronation of Our Lady of Czestochowa www.indcatholicnews.com/news/31753

Visit the official site of the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa here: www.jasnagora.pl/

And see: Pope Francis in Czestochowa: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh8-512_XRM