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Visit to the Marian Sanctuary in Kodeń
When the festivities in Kostomloty were over, we travelled a few kilometers south to Koden, a small town which is the site of a famous Marian (i.e. devoted to the cult of the Virgin Mary) Sanctuary. Koden is situated near the banks of the Bug river (see map), which now forms a border with Byelorus. It was probably founded late in the 15th century and became an important trade center with a river port and water-mills. Since the beginning of the 16th century, it belonged to the prominent noble family - Sapieha. They built there their defensive castle on a hill. The castle itself has been destroyed over the centuries during multiple wars. Only the foundations have been preserved, on which a large field altar was built. A pavillion located in the underground chambers houses a collection of sculptures depicting the war martyrology. On the other hand, the castle chapel (a rather large church, originally built in 1540 as an Orthodox Church - "Cerkiew") has been well preserved and is now functioning as a roman-catholic church and is dedicated to the Holy Spirit. |
| The Icon, which has been called hence Gregorian or Our Lady of Guadalupe, remained for centuries in Rome in a Church Of the Holliest Virgin Mary, the Greater (Santa Maria Maggiore). It was famous for numerous miracles and was particularily revered by the Popes. Urban VIII, who was a great worshipper and devotee of the Gregorian Mother of God, transferred the Icon to a chapel in the Vatican. A gravely ill Mikolaj Sapieha, a Voivode (Royal Administrator) of the Lithuania province and the owner of Koden, arrived in Rome in 1631. He came to the Holy City to seek help and salvation for his disease-ridden body - from God and from people. Following the advice from the Cardinals, he went to the Vatican Chapel to attend a Holy Mass celebrated by the Pope Urban VIII, in front of the Miraculous Gregorian Mother of God. |
At the time of the Holliest Offering, he was miraculously cured. The beautiful Icon and the miraculous healing caused in him a great desire to own the painting. His persistent requests to be granted the Icon were met with the Pope's refusals. Then Sapieha decided to take a risky step - he bribed the sacrystan of the Pope's chapel, who then helped him to take posession of the miraculous Icon. He hurriedly transported the Icon to his homeland, to Koden. |
The pursuit by the Pope's army and his threats did not make Sapieha change his mind. With the church bells ringing, thundering gun salut and prayer greetings from thousands of local people, on September 15, 1631 the Gregorian Madonna, since that time on called "Mother-of-Koden", took the town of Koden under her reigns. The perturbed Pope Urban VIII excommunicated Sapieha, but the Voivode did not give up. He continued in his determination to keep the Miraculous Icon. In the meantime the religious and political developments in Poland (and Sapieha's stand against the Protestant Church Reformation movement) came to his rescue. As a reward for his services rendered to the Church, the Pope forgave his sins and granted him the Icon - so from that time on it would be forever worshiped in Koden (it was, however, temporarily moved in 1875 to the Monastery of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, when the Russian occupation authorities converted the church into an Orthodox house of worship, but in 1927 it was returned to Koden). |
click on the picture to enlarge
Webpage of the Koden Sanctuary
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