Doylestown, Pennsylvania

photo: Justin Ferko

Copy of Our Lady of Czestochowa,
Queen of Poland

At the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, 654 Ferry Rd, Doylestown, PA 18901.

I don’t often list copies of Black Madonnas in this index. However, there are hardly any original ones in this country and this National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa is a twin shrine of the one in Czestochowa, Poland. It was established in 1955 and is a huge and very vibrant community led by the Pauline brothers. They honor Our Lady with a walking pilgrimage at the same time as it is conducted in Poland, each year in August on a Thursday to Sunday close to the feast of the assumption of Mary into heaven (August 15th). Thousands of enthusiastic pilgrims walk nearly 60 miles over the course of 4 days. They camp out in state parks and on farmland.
Below: the altars in the upper church and in the crypt. I love how the Black Madonna is carried by the angels to her place with the trinity. It reminds me of the apparitions of Our Lady of Revelation, the One of the Trinity, in Tre Fontane, outside of Rome.

The faithful offer rosaries to their heavenly Mother. Photo: Justin Ferko

Thanks to Justin Ferko for insisting that this great shrine should be added to my index and for the last 2 photos!