Our Lady of Czestochowa & the Black Madonnas: Miraculous! Explaining the Faith w/Fr. Chris Alar

We have all seen images of Mary, but why are some black? And what is the miraculous story of Our Lady of Czestochowa and why do we need to know about it? Fr. Chris Alar answers these questions and more.

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[kaylemoine]

A long time ago, there was a group of Poles arrived in our city (Raleigh, North Carolina). They had a large picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa. They tried to find a parish to take the picture, but none would, except our parish, St Joseph. Having the image has brought great grace to our parish. On the feast of Corpus Christi, when we have our procession, the men carry the empty frame. Under the communists, they were not allowed to carry the image, so they carried the frame. So we keep the tradition.

[shukapriti]

I had a tattoo of Buddha and I'm Catholic now and got it covered up with Our Lady of Czestochowa.

[dawnandy]

My mother was 14 when the Soviets invaded Poland in 1939. She happened to be in a hospital recovering from meningitis. By the time she left the hospital, she learned her family was sent to a Russian gulag. She was permitted to take some personal belongings before being shipped to another gulag. She took an image of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which was nothing more than a postcard in a modest wooden frame. My grandmother had always prayed to the picture, as did her children.

My mother kept the picture throughout her life, it always hung above her bed. In 1940 my grandmother died. I grew up knowing that when she died, she came to say goodbye to my mother. An aunt who was with my grandmother when she died confirmed the details in the late 40s when she was finally able to leave the gulag and return to Poland. I treasured the image my entire life and have always known there is so much more than this life. I guess it’s my gift from the Lady of Czestochowa. (I should also mention, my mother gave me the picture because I treasured it. But I then gave it to my niece as she had married a Muslim man and converted to Islam. She valued the image for its antiquity. But she has since returned to Christianity and brought her daughter too.)

[mjt]

We live near the Shrine of Our Lady Of Czestochowa in Doylestown PA and my family and I started going there during the pandemic.
Outside the shrine, they have a huge rosary garden which we walked through many times
Then, we started going there every first Saturday for the devotion. We've been going ever since. The Pauline fathers listen to confessions for hours because of the huge lines that wrap around the church every single first Saturday without fail.
In the lower church, there are countless relics many different saints surrounding the altar which you can see up close.
On the walls around the altar in the lower church are many rosaries and crutches which symbolize healing.

[augustpl]

Father Alar thank you for telling the history of our lady of Czestochowa. We pray she will always protect you for speaking the truth. You are true Catholic Shepard

[ampl]

Our Lady of Czestochowa saved my soul - and marriage. Our Lady pray for us.❤❤❤

[andreabiro]

The Black Madonna helped me to convert to Catholicism. We have a picture of Her and baby Jesus in our town. She came from Poland in 1642.

[susanpolanski]

My husband is from Poland you're so happy to hear about your talk he didn't know about the history he only heard a few stories in miracles. The death of a child leaves a scar even if it wasn't abortion! My old grandchild died at the hands of an incompetent doctor who did brain surgery that was high risk and should have been discouraged. My daughter lives with that pain of losing that child everyday and the suffering post-op. Pray for all lost children 🙏🙏💔💔

[ATLucy]

My son (8 years old) LOVES the story about Our Lady of Częstochowa and her image! He is not Catholic but I pray for his conversion to the fullness of the Christian faith - The Catholic faith! Our Lady of Częstochowa, pray for us 🙏🏻❤️

[mariapropst]

Our Lady of Czestochowa please protest Father Chris! And all of Our dear Marian priests and brothers and seminaries!
Our Lady feast day is Aug 26 ( my birthday)
I am so happy to learn of Our Lady of Czestochowa today through this Divine Mercy website! So much to learn about our Beautiful Catholic faith! So much Gratitude to the Divine Mercy Ministries!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Our Lady of Czestochowa, Pray for us!🙏

[dellchica]

So happy i heard this talk Fr. CHRIS❤!!! I picked up a prayer card of this image a few months ago at a catholic bookshop because i was attracted to it and had never seen it. It sits on my bedside table. So happy i found it now.

[love_triumphs]

Our Lady, please save my son from perdition. Please bring him home healthy and safe. May he repent, convert, and accept God’s mercy and love!!

[mariesolomon]

Thank you Fr Chris for this informative talk on Our Lady of Czestochowa & the Black Madonnas, May God bless you & strengthen your ministry, God bless the Marians!

[sharonful]

Thanks for the enlightenment of the image. Blessing to you Fr. Chris for the great effort in keeping our faith above the norm. Amen

[ngermain]

Love Our Lady of Częstochowa. I was born on 8-26 her Feast Day—then really studied and learned so much about her. Great job as always here Father Chris! 😊❤

[lisaschuman]

I requested intercession of the Black Madonna when my nephew was murdered. With the Blessing of God, the perpetrator was caught right away, and a year and a half later, he was prosecuted and now is serving a life sentence in prison. It is amazing, these things strengthen our faith. God Bless everyone and, thank you Father for this wonderful lecture on Our Lady… ❤️

[TooTrue]

I need prayers for my family and myself. We're being attacked and it's getting real difficult to carry on when my family is so splintered. I'm losing my will to live so I'm trying to rely on God much more than I ever have but I'm hurt and it makes it difficult. I'm trying to let you know a little without calling out my entire family because I believe it will make the prayers stronger with more emotion. They're major issues and I need prayers for strength, discernment, and understanding. They could use prayers for the same. I'm talking 11 big big problems that just can't be fixed with simple apologies.

[jazzmandolin]

There will come a day when all of Mary's children will be gathered around Her. For Her she will be swarmed by us like a puppy attack. What joy and laughter will be on that day. Can you imagine our Mother's laugh? I can't wait to hear that.

[elizabethbaptist]

Thank you Fr Chris for this enlightened talk. God bless

[stachuratomasz]

God bless from Poland! Every year I visit Częstochowa with my wife and kids a couple of times. I live just two hours ride from. When in Poland - You have to visit this True Heart of Poland! ❤️🙏🇵🇱