The Russian faithful particularly treasure a special icon which embodies their national identity: Our Lady of Kazan. The devotion to Our Lady of Kazan is one of the most popular devotions to the Virgin Mary in Russia. The original icon was supposedly housed in Kazan until the thirteenth century when it was lost in the rubble and ashes following an invasion of the Tartars.
In 1579, in the same city, a little girl named Matrona had an apparition of the Virgin Mary who revealed to her where to unearth the icon. On July 8, the miraculous icon was found wrapped in a red cloth. Before long, the icon became well known for numerous miracles and cures and invoked as the "Protectress of Russia." Later, it was kept in the Basilica of Our Lady of Kazan in Moscow. On October 13, 1917, which, coincidentally, is also the day of the extraordinary Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, the Bolsheviks destroyed the basilica at the Red Square. But the icon was saved and immediately taken out of the country.
That icon or a replica of it was enshrined in a Marian shrine at Fatima, Portugal in the 1970s, and later given to Pope John Paul II, who, despite controversy, decided to return the precious icon to the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow in 2005, where it was enshrined in the Annunciation Cathedral of Kazan Kremlin.
For all these reasons, the Kazan icon has special symbolic value for both the East and the West.
The above from: A Moment with Mary
OK, that may be so, and I don't doubt it, but looking for the icon to attach to this post, I came across this website, and now I am somewhat confused. Anyone out there with more knowledge of this, please comment. I love JPII and I pray for Russia and our Othodox brothers and sisters...but what about this? I know about schisms but not everything and who or what is such. What about Marian T. Horvat, PhD? What makes me so concerned and unhappy is that even good, faithful, orthodox, devout, Catholics are still split. I read things and when it's murky, I just say a prayer, a Hail Mary and move on, but I'd really like to know what anyone of my readers could offer at this time. What little I read of her, well, it 'sounds' fine. Then again I didn't read everything on the page. TJ? Anyone? Help. I am really a very new, baby Catholic, I really am. Some of this 'makes sense' but I know there's always some Truth in every falsehood, error, heresy. Again, HELP?
In 1579, in the same city, a little girl named Matrona had an apparition of the Virgin Mary who revealed to her where to unearth the icon. On July 8, the miraculous icon was found wrapped in a red cloth. Before long, the icon became well known for numerous miracles and cures and invoked as the "Protectress of Russia." Later, it was kept in the Basilica of Our Lady of Kazan in Moscow. On October 13, 1917, which, coincidentally, is also the day of the extraordinary Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, the Bolsheviks destroyed the basilica at the Red Square. But the icon was saved and immediately taken out of the country.
That icon or a replica of it was enshrined in a Marian shrine at Fatima, Portugal in the 1970s, and later given to Pope John Paul II, who, despite controversy, decided to return the precious icon to the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow in 2005, where it was enshrined in the Annunciation Cathedral of Kazan Kremlin.
For all these reasons, the Kazan icon has special symbolic value for both the East and the West.
The above from: A Moment with Mary
OK, that may be so, and I don't doubt it, but looking for the icon to attach to this post, I came across this website, and now I am somewhat confused. Anyone out there with more knowledge of this, please comment. I love JPII and I pray for Russia and our Othodox brothers and sisters...but what about this? I know about schisms but not everything and who or what is such. What about Marian T. Horvat, PhD? What makes me so concerned and unhappy is that even good, faithful, orthodox, devout, Catholics are still split. I read things and when it's murky, I just say a prayer, a Hail Mary and move on, but I'd really like to know what anyone of my readers could offer at this time. What little I read of her, well, it 'sounds' fine. Then again I didn't read everything on the page. TJ? Anyone? Help. I am really a very new, baby Catholic, I really am. Some of this 'makes sense' but I know there's always some Truth in every falsehood, error, heresy. Again, HELP?
4 comments:
Sue:
have no fears!
I will e mail u privately regarding these issues.
God bless
Here's something that might help.
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/reviews/view.cfm?recnum=3026&repos=2&subrepos=0&searchid=487608
TJ, again, thanks for writing me. You're the best! :)
Nancy, thank you so much for the link! Blessings!
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