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Nasza Przeszłość

Vol. 107 (2007): Our Past

Articles

The sanctuary in Machirów in the 18th century as an example of a local centre of Marian cult in the eastern territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

  • Marcin Sawicki
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52204/np.2007.107.67-90  [Google Scholar]
Published: 2007-06-30

Abstract

One of the most characteristic expressions of piety among the inhabitants of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in modern times was the cult of the Virgin Mary. Western and Eastern traditions of worshipping the Virgin Mary met here and had an integral influence on the Christian communities. The source on which the author bases his research is a book of 250 miracles performed thanks to the icon of the Mother of God of Machirovsk, described in a book by the Basilian martyr Auzgaylo. This type of activity was typical of Catholic and Uniate centres of worship, although examples of shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Machirovskaya can also be found in the Orthodox Church in the Republic. The purpose of these was to provide material testifying to miraculous events and to enhance the prestige of the shrine. Sometimes miracle books were printed afterwards. In Lithuania, a prominent publisher of many such books was the printing house of the Basilian Monastery in Supraśl. The Machirov sanctuary had a local character. The village was part of the Polish province and belonged to the Uniate archbishops. A Basilian monastery with an Orthodox church was built next to the miraculous icon. Of interest are the circumstances that led to the hanging of the ex-votos, considered a condition for receiving the grace of healing. Apparitions of the Mother of God in dreams were frequent. In some cases, the clergy advised people to place themselves under the protection of Our Lady of Machyria. It happened that among the blessed counsellors there were also kind and merciful people. People often turned to Our Lady of Machirovskaya for help when other scientific methods or unconventional medicine did not produce the desired results. The book of miracles associated with the Machirov shrine is an invaluable document on the functioning of the provincial centre of Marian devotion. On a micro level, it shows the universality of devotion to the Mother of God by representatives of all religious orders, whether Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic or Orthodox. Finally, the book documents all the worries, anxieties, sufferings and joys of the inhabitants of the eastern lands of the Republic. Often defenceless against the forces and phenomena of nature, whose origins were attributed to the activity of Satan, they sought the help of Our Lady of Machyria, who integrated the local population and enabled them to better endure the hardships of earthly existence.

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