Our Lady of Częstochowa Block Print- Feast Day 8/26

Do you know much about Our Lady of Częstochowa? While it has changed owners and locations many times in its history, the icon has been housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, since 1384. Exposure to air and the soot of burning candles has darkened the colors of the icon over time, leading it to sometimes be called the Black Madonna.

One of the most recognizable elements of the icon are the scars on Mary’s cheek. Tradition says that during an invasion in 1430, thieves tried to steal the image from the church. They placed it in a wagon, but the horses refused to move. In anger, one thief slashed the painting with his sword, leaving the marks on Mary’s face, and the icon was thrown out of the wagon. Our Lady of Częstochowa's feast is celebrated on August 26.

When I was working on my Names of Mary block carving collection a few years ago, I included my own version of Our Lady of Częstochowa image. I'd like to share a 5x7 printable from that project with you! This image was originally hand drawn by me, transferred to a rubber block, carved out, and then printed like a stamp. This is a true scan of that print that you are welcome to hang as art in your home or classroom or use as a feast day decoration!

Click here for the print:

And you can also find it included on these Names of Mary Bookmarks:

And if you are interested in more info on Our Lady of Częstochowa, the devotion has a whole chapter in my book Through the Year with Mary! Complete with a kid friendly explanation, full color artwork with discussion prompts, reflection questions, a prayer, and a connection to Jesus, the goal of the book is to help you have good conversations with your kids! 

Click here to find in from my publisher the St. Paul Center or here to find it on Amazon!