The role of the followers of the Virgin Mary venerated in Ludzmierz (southern Poland) is to create and maintain the identity of the inhabitants of Podhale and their Marian profile. This was the main emphasis of the new evangelization during the symposium which took place Autumn of 2012, in the towns of Ludzmierz and Nowy Targ. The acts of this symposium have been published recently under the title “The Virgin Mary in the faith of the Church and in the life of the nation”. The publication contains fourteen papers, which are a testimony to the reflection on the role of the followers of the Virgin Mary as well as in the life of the people their history and culture in Podhale and in Poland.
The first three texts refer to the historical and theological meaning of the coronation of the of statue of Our Lady of Ludzmierz. Subsequent entries discuss the issue of worship of the Queen of Podhale, its various forms and its development, its cross-regional nature, its relation to the pastoral care of young people and of families, the conveyance of this faith base following in the age of media culture. In this publication the reader will find historical as well as cultural information, showing the role of the Sanctuary in the context of the history of the region. The book also discusses the presence of the followers of the Virgin Mary in the Tatra region, their verbal folklore, their dialect poetry and the importance of the Marian worship for the activity of regional organizations such as the Association of Podhale.
The history of the patronage of Our Lady of Ludzmierz associated with the service of the soldiers of 21st Podhale Riflemen Brigade was also depicted. The publication was enriched with a collection of fifteen legends on the Mother of God of Ludzmierz together with comments, testimony to the coronation written in their dialect, and two articles that discuss the Marian elements present in the Polish military ornamentation. It is worth mentioning that the publication begins with the foreword by Card. Stanislaw Dziwisz, the texts of the papers are accompanied by summaries of papers in Polish and English, as well as color reproductions of paintings of Our Lady of Ludzmierz painted on glass. The book includes a CD with TVP Kraków documentary filmed during the symposium.
Reading this volume helps to understand the role of the cult of Our Lady of Ludzmierz in creating and maintaining the Christian, Polish and local identity of the residents of Podhale and the importance of Marian piety in Polish history and culture. The Sanctuary of our Lady of Ludzmierz is shown not only as a treasury of heritage of the past, but as a spiritual center, pulsating with life and new religious and cultural initiatives.
The authors of the papers represent the Polish scientific community and other relevant circles connected with the Sanctuary of the Queen of Podhale, as well as institutions of Rome and the Vatican. The Editors of the volume are Anna Mlekodaj and Fr. Andrzej Dobrzynski. It should also be noted that the organization of the symposium and the release of their materials were reviewed by Fr. Tadeusz Juchas, curator of the Sanctuary of the Queen of Podhale. The publication was published thanks to the efforts of the Parish of the Assumption in Ludzmierz by “Zachylina” Publishing in Rabka. Persons interested in purchasing the book, please contact: sanktuarium@ludzmierz.pl, tel 00 (48) 18 265 55 27, fax 18 265 55 25.
The aforesaid symposium was held October23-24, 2012. The Ludzmierz Sanctuary of the Queen of Podhale organized the symposium together with the Podhale State Haigher Vocational School in Nowy Targ and the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, as well as the John Paul II Pontificate’s Centre for Research and Documentation in Rome. It became a part of the preparations for the 50th anniversary of the coronation of the miraculous statue of Our Lady, culminating in the celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on August 15, 2013 in Ludzmierz.