Some Shrines of France

Mother of God, Levoca, Slovakia

The gilded statue of the Mother of God, Levoca, Slovakia was executed in the workshop of Pavel of Levoca in the 15th century. It is venerated in the chapel there which was built by the townspeople in gratitude for their delivery from a Mongol attack. The image attracted many tourists at the time, some of whom experienced miracles such as healings. The Patron of Slovakia is the Mother of Sorrows. The region has long had an ardent devotion to the Mother of God even during the cruelest of the Communist times.

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Our Lady of Brezje, Slovenia

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The image of Our Lady of Brezje is a miraculous painting, a copy of one done earlier by Lucas Cranach. The Slovenian artist, Leopold Layer, painted the image because of a promise. He was imprisoned during the Napoleonic wars and slated for execution. He vowed that if he was set free he would paint the Madonna for the Brezje church. Five years later he was able to keep his promise when he was set free. The inhabitants of Slovenia trace their devotion to the Mother of God to the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Almost 90% of the population is Catholic.

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