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HAND EMBROIDERED
VESTMENTS FROM SLOVAKIA
MARIAN MOUNT
IN LEVOCA
ANNUAL
PILGRIMAGE SITE
Marian Mount was attracting
people of Levoca and the inhabitants of the surrounding area from the
beginning of the 14th century. There was a chapel here in 1311 that was
repaired on orders of the Levoča's priest in 1322. Number of pilgrims was
increasing every year and therefore the chapel was enlarged in 1470 and soon
after it received also today's statute of Merciful Virgin Mary. That time
there was a guard house standing next to the chapel. Even through the
reformation period the pilgrimages to Marian Mount were not interrupted. Even
the local Lutherans kept the day of Visitation of Virgin Mary. Revival of
pilgrimages began after re-catholization, when the first act was big
procession and pilgrimage to Marian Mount July 2nd 1671. In 1673 Marian Mount
received privileges to issue forgivingness receipts to the pilgrims, from the
Holy Father. The Chapel was rebuilt numerous times and enlarged in 1698, 1766
and 1819-1820. Levoca's priest ordered chapel for Greek Catholics in 1841
and soon after famous Levoča's painter Jozef Czauczik repainted the statute of
Virgin Mary to today's likeness. In 1901 they built a Chapel above the spring.
Since the original chapel
wasn't large enough for long time to accommodate the masses of pilgrims, today's
church was built in Neo-Gothic style from collections and gifts of believes
between years 1906-1914. It was blessed by the Most Reverend Spiš Bishop Jan
Vojtaššák on July 2nd 1922. Very important day for the church and pilgrimages
is January 26th 1984, the day Holy Father John Paul II elevated it to Basilica
Minor. Levoča belongs to the oldest
and most important pilgrimage places in Slovakia. She isn't tied to legends.
There is a talk about miracles, but could one calculate the amount of people
in history that found satisfaction in pain and sorrow, how many got strength
for continuance of their lives, how many lives were changed for better? That's
where the miracle and strength is. Devotion of Slovak Nation to Virgin Mary is
presented here to the whole world.
GO
TO CATHOLIC CHURCHES
HAND EMBROIDERED
VESTMENTS FROM SLOVAKIA
Published in the
Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 6, No. 3, Fall 1998
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1998
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied,
reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic,
without the express written permission of
Vladimir
Linder. All rights
reserved.
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