The sanctuary on the Cathedral Mountain in Chełm is a special place of Marian cult. The origins of this sanctuary, dating back to the Middle Ages, are closely related to the icon of Our Lady of Chełm. The origin of this icon, as well as the date of its presence in Chełm, are practically unknown, some sources indirectly point to the 13th century. The history of this image was first described in 1648 by Jakub Susza. Until the Union of Brest, the cult of the icon was associated with the Orthodox Church, and later with the Greek Catholic Church. The icon gained some notoriety during the military expedition against the Cossacks in 1651. On September 1, 1765, the Archbishop of Smolensk, Heracliusz Lisański, crowned this icon. In 1875, after the annulment of the Union, the cathedral and the miraculous icon passed into the hands of the Orthodox. In 1915, the holy image was transported by Russian troops deep into Russian lands, from where it never returned. In 1938, Władysław Ukleja painted a copy of this icon, which was incorporated into the main altar. In the history of the sanctuary and Marian cult in the lands of Chełm, the miracles and special graces granted before the icon of Our Lady of Chełm deserve special attention. Jakub Susza, for his part, recorded 693 miracles since the 13th century. According to the detailed description of the Coronation of the miraculous icon from 1780, there would be another 1,000 miracles in the monastery books. Books containing Mass intentions and cards on which the faithful write their prayers and thanks are contemporary sources of all research conducted on the cult of Our Lady of Chełm.
References
Bownik K., Sanktuarium maryjne na Górze Chełmskiej, Chełm 1980. [Google Scholar]
Brykczyński S., Moje wspomnienia rok 1863, Warszawa 1936. [Google Scholar]
Czernicki, Chełm, przeszłość i pamiątki, Chełm 1936. [Google Scholar]
