Marian sanctuary in Ludźmierz
Medals available in the side entrance near the shop and in the dining room!
The written history of Ludźmierz dates back to the year 1234 and is known above all for the cult of the statue of Our Lady of Ludźmierz – Queen of Podhale made around 1400. It is here that the religious life of the Podhale region has concentrated for almost 600 years. Several times a year, thousands of pilgrims come mainly from Podhale, Spisz and Orawa – regions spreading at the foot of the granite massif of the Tatra Mountains.
On 15 August 1963, the coronation of the statue of Our Lady of Ludźmierz took place. At the end of the ceremony, four bishops in a procession headed towards the church with the crowned statue. At that moment, a sceptre fell out of the hand of Our Lady, which Bishop Karol Wojtyła managed to grasp. It is widely believed that the intercessory power of the Kazdzina of Podhale made Cardinal Karol Wojtyła Pope. It was her entrusting him with her sceptre that was to foreshadow the later event of 1978.
‘Kalendarium życia Karola Wojtyła’, published by Znak 1983. – under the date of 15 August 1967, there is the following information: ‘…a girl greeting – at the pilgrimage in Ludźmierz – the Cardinal delivered a poem, the last words of which expressed the expectation that he would now become Pope…’.
A significant event connected with the cult of Our Lady of Ludźmierz was the visit of Pope John Paul II to Nowy Targ, which took place on 8 June 1979. Then a kind of precedent was set. The miraculous statue of the Queen of Podhale was transported to the Nowy Targ airport. Around a million pilgrims came to meet Our Lady and the Holy Father. In his homily to the gathered Podhale people and pilgrims, the Holy Father said: “Our Lady is always like the people of her home. Now, when I was looking in Mexico at Our Lady of Guadaloupe, Our Lady of the Indians, what came to mind most was Our Lady of Ludźmierz, because she is such a true Gaździna Podhalańska…”.
During his second visit to his homeland, John Paul II consecrated new crowns for the Mother of God (22.VI.1983, Krakow – Błonie), as the ones from 1963 had been stolen by unknown perpetrators during a burglary at the sanctuary church in Ludźmierz (18/19.III.1983).
Speech by John Paul II during the rosary prayer at Ludźmierz, 7 June
1 Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us! On this first Saturday of the month, the commemoration of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we come to the Lady of Ludźmierz, the Goose of Podhale. And this is a place most worthy of becoming a sanctuary where the faithful of the whole world unite with the Pope in praying the Rosary. For almost 600 years now, successive generations of Podhale people and believers from all over Poland have been paying homage to the Mother of God here. And this veneration for Mary is inextricably linked to the rosary. The local people, who are characterised by a simple and deep faith, have always had a sense of what a wonderful source of spiritual life the rosary can be. For centuries, pilgrims of all states, families and entire parishes have come here with rosary in hand to learn from Mary the love of Christ. And in doing so, they have chosen the best school. For in meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, we look at the mystery of the Lord’s life, passion, death and resurrection through her eyes, and we experience them as she experienced them in her motherly heart. By praying the Rosary, we talk to Mary, we trust her with all our worries and sorrows, joys and hopes. We ask her to help us undertake God’s plans and to obtain from her Son the grace needed to fulfil them faithfully. She – joyful and sorrowful and glorious, always at the side of the Son – is at the same time present in the midst of our daily affairs.
The rhythm of the Rosary prayers keeps track of time in this land of Podhale, Krakow and Poland – it permeates and shapes it. However human history has unfolded – in the joy of the fruits of daily toil, in the painful struggle against adversity or in the glory of victories won – it has always found its reflection in the mysteries of Christ and His Mother. For this reason, devotion to the prayer of the Rosary has never died out in the hearts of the faithful, and today it seems to be growing even stronger. This is clearly evidenced by the development of the Confraternity of the Living Rosary, which was founded here, at the shrine of the Lady of Ludźmierz, even a century ago. The testimony of those who find in this simple prayer an inexhaustible source of spiritual life ignites others. I am happy to learn that it also reaches beyond the borders of Poland, even to other continents. Numerous new Living Rosary Circles are springing up in many Polish centres. This is a wonderful work. May God’s grace support it, so that it bears blessed fruit in the hearts of all our compatriots, at home and abroad!
3 Today I would like to thank wholeheartedly the faithful of Podhale and of the entire Archdiocese of Cracow for the great gift of praying the Rosary. I know that every day you gather here, at the feet of Mary, Lady of Ludżmierz, and in many other places, in order to entrust to her protection all matters [of the Church and of the Successor of St Peter, all matters which Divine Providence has entrusted to his care]. I also know that in the parishes of Podhale, Orawa, Spiš, Pieniny and Gorce, you have also discussed this visit of mine to Poland, gathering in families and undertaking unceasing prayer in the framework of the peregrination of the Rosary. I thank you for this great work of prayer. I have always been able to count on it, especially in difficult moments. I need it very much and I continue to ask you for it. I extend my warmest greetings to the entire Ludźmierz parish community, its pastors and faithful. One could say that this community extends to the whole world. For wherever the Polish highlanders have reached and continue to reach, the Ludźmierz Gaiety is also present – she is present in homes and churches, but above all in hearts. May this presence never be lacking! I would also like to greet, in a special way, the Association of Large Families, who have come here to entrust their family happiness, which is often not easy, to Mary.
In today’s world, you are witnesses to the happiness that comes from sharing love, even at the cost of many sacrifices. Do not be afraid to bear witness to this! The world may not understand you, the world may ask why you have not followed an easier path, but the world needs your witness – the world needs your love, your peace and your happiness. May Mary, the Protector of families support you. Turn to her as often as possible. Pray the Rosary. Let this prayer become the foundation of your unity. Priests and lay faithful who have been undertaking the pastoral work of sobriety in this region for years are present here. To Mary, Lady of Ludźmierz, I entrust your work. I pray that she will intercede for you the spirit of fortitude, perseverance, as well as great sensitivity and gentleness towards every human being. I look with admiration at this Shrine, which has grown and become so beautiful. It is a sign of your dedication and generosity. It is your gift to Mary, but also to the pilgrims who come here. It is necessary that today the Pope – a pilgrim of Ludźmierz – should thank you on behalf of them all for this hospitality. God bless you! I bless you from the bottom of my heart. Lady of Ludźmierz, Hostess of Podhale, pray for us!
[Words of John Paul II after the main address:]
Since the coronation of Our Lady of Ludźmierz, which was carried out by the late Primate Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, I do not remember such a large gathering. God bless you!
[responding to the chanting of those gathered: Stay with us!:]
Come on Turbacz! Come on Turbacz! Come on Turbacz! He can be seen. Jesus Christ be praised! With God!
