List of Black Madonnas

This list of Black Madonnas is a work in progress: more than 180 portraits with great photos, complete legends and history of each Black Madonna, plus others that are only listed by location or with minimal information. For a detailed overview of the phenomenon of the Christian Dark Mother and her non-Christian sisters click on introduction. For a world map of all the Madonnas listed in this index click here.

To contribute articles to this index, please contact me. I will give you credit and reserve the right to edit it. I can’t finish this index in one life time by myself! It would really help if you read my introduction, so that we are on the same page as to what qualifies as a Black Madonna in my index.

Madonnas by country:

Featured
Meerveldhoven, Netherlands
Europe, Central Europe, Netherlands
Meerveldhoven, Netherlands
Europe, Central Europe, Netherlands

Our Lady of the Oak was found in a tree in 1263. Although not a Black Madonna, she’s included in this index, because she shares many Black Madonna leitmotifs: a strong connection with the earth, miracle working, and repeatedly returning, by her own will, to the place in nature where she was found. Many Madonnas are associated with sacred trees, but this Dutch lady is the only one who got to keep her tree in the church that was erected for her.

Europe, Central Europe, Netherlands
Prešov, Slovakia
Europe, Eastern Europe
Prešov, Slovakia
Europe, Eastern Europe

Baroque rendition of the Black Madonna of Loreto in the Greek Catholic cathedral in Presov, Slovakia. The ex-voti and thanksgiving tablets attest to her miracle working power and the faith of her devotees.

Europe, Eastern Europe
Witheren
Australia
Witheren
Australia

There are no original Black Madonnas in Australia, but Polish immigrants honor copies of their Queen, the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, wherever they go, as do Brazilians their Black Aparecida do Norte, and other groups their dearest expressions of the divine Mother.

Australia
Penrose, Australia
Australia
Penrose, Australia
Australia

Our Lady of Mercy shrine in Penrose Park, Australia is dedicated to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, the Queen of Poland. This copy of the miracle working original icon was crowned by St. Pope John Paul II in 2001. Many smaller international shrines in this sanctuary include one to the Black Madonna Aparecida do Norte, Brazil.

Australia
Ethiopia, Abuna Yemata Guh
Africa, Ethiopia
Ethiopia, Abuna Yemata Guh
Africa, Ethiopia

This Black Madonna surrounded by White saints was painted in the 15th century in the most difficult to access sanctuary in the world, a 5th century rock hewn church. Pilgrims have to climb 8,460 feet barefoot up a 90 degree cliff to pray here. Women do it in long skirts with babies on their backs! It seems the artist meant to show either that Mary was a Black woman or that her being the Black divine Mother of her Ethiopian children was more important than the historical reality that she came from the same area as many of the White men in the frescos.

Africa, Ethiopia
Oirschot
Europe, Central Europe, Netherlands
Oirschot
Europe, Central Europe, Netherlands

Our Lady Consolation of the Dejected and Oppressed, Our Lady of the Holy Oak, Our Lady Wealth of Joys was found in a river in 1406. She insisted on residing in a sacred oak tree and performed many miracles. Most popular Madonna in Netherlands.

Europe, Central Europe, Netherlands
Handel
Central Europe, Netherlands
Handel
Central Europe, Netherlands

Our Lady of Handel shares many Black Madonna leitmotifs: a sacred tree, healing water, miraculous origins, and Heaven using animals to communicate its will. The abundant waters of the miraculous source merge into a stream one can wade into.

Central Europe, Netherlands
Algeria, Algiers
Africa, Algeria
Algeria, Algiers
Africa, Algeria

Madame l’Afrique is a copy of a French statue crafted in silver by the artist Edmé Bouchardon (1698-1762), which was destroyed during the Revolution…

Africa, Algeria
Rwanda, Kibeho
Africa, Rwanda
Rwanda, Kibeho
Africa, Rwanda

When fans of the Black Madonna fall into a reverse kind of racism by appreciating only Black Madonnas while disparaging white ones, they would do well to remember Our Lady of Kibeho…

Africa, Rwanda
Senegal, Popenguine
Africa, Senegal
Senegal, Popenguine
Africa, Senegal

In 1887, Bishop Mathurin Picarda visited the mission of the Holy Ghost Fathers in Guéréo, Senegal, for the baptism of its first Catholic converts…

Africa, Senegal
South Africa, Soweto
Africa, South Africa
South Africa, Soweto
Africa, South Africa

This is not one of those traditional, ancient European Black Madonnas with miraculous powers that begs the question…

Africa, South Africa
Argentina, Los Toldos
South America, Argentina
Argentina, Los Toldos
South America, Argentina

Black Madonna in the Benedictine monastery Santa Maria de los Toldos, Ruta 65, Los Toldos, province Buenos Aires.

South America, Argentina
Brazil, Aparecida do Norte
South America, Brazil
Brazil, Aparecida do Norte
South America, Brazil

In 1717 three fishermen were sent to catch fish in the Paraoba River for the governor of São Paulo because it was a religious day of abstinence and he wasn't allowed to eat meat…

South America, Brazil
Colombia, Las Lajas
South America, Colombia
Colombia, Las Lajas
South America, Colombia

Though this Madonna is not black she shares important characteristics with Black Madonnas. First, her eyes and hair are so black that she is revered by her devotees as “La Mestiza”…

South America, Colombia
Costa Rica, Cartago
North America, Costa Rica
Costa Rica, Cartago
North America, Costa Rica

The Queen of Costa Rica is called Our Lady of the Angels because she was found on the day the Franciscans celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Angels…

North America, Costa Rica
Honduras
North America, Honduras
Honduras
North America, Honduras

On February 3, 1747 the young peasant Alejandro Colindres and his eight year old nephew Lorenzo Martinez went to farm at some distance from their house…

North America, Honduras
Mexico City
North America, Mexico
Mexico City
North America, Mexico

In 1531 things were looking dismal in Mexico. In the course of ten years millions of native Mexicans had been killed by the brutality of the Spanish Conquerors and their diseases…

North America, Mexico
Mexico, Santa Catarina Juquila
North America, Mexico
Mexico, Santa Catarina Juquila
North America, Mexico

There are several versions of the legend of this Dear Dark One. The most common one claims that her first known owner was a Dominican priest called Frey Juan Jordán de Santa Catarina…

North America, Mexico
Pacific, Missouri
North America, USA
Pacific, Missouri
North America, USA

The history of this shrine began in 1927, when the archbishop of St. Louis requested a group of Franciscans to come from Poland to set up a nursing home in the countryside…

North America, USA
Los Angeles
North America, USA
Los Angeles
North America, USA

A copy of Our Lady of Loreto (Italy) located in Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church in Los Angeles in Historic Filipinotown, at 250 N. Union Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026.

North America, USA
Miami
North America, USA
Miami
North America, USA

This Black Madonna is a copy of Our Lady of Regla in Havana, Cuba and in Chipiona, Spain. The original is said to have been carved in the 5th century by St. Augustin following instructions from angels.

North America, USA
New York City
North America, USA
New York City
North America, USA

It is ironic that the only “real” Black Madonna (not just a copy) in the USA isn’t actually a Black Madonna in the strict sense.

North America, USA
Vina, California
North America, USA
Vina, California
North America, USA

The Cistertian abbey in Vina is a beautiful monastery for Trappist contemplative monks that welcomes lay people for retreats. It was founded in 1955 by Thomas Merton’s monastic community…

North America, USA
Austin, Texas
North America, USA
Austin, Texas
North America, USA

The Black Madonna of Austin, Texas was comissioned around 2005 by an African priest of the predominantely black Holy Cross Catholic parish with strong black activist roots in that city. She was sculpted by the white artist Jim Thomas.

North America, USA
Heiligenleithen
Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Heiligenleithen
Europe, Central Europe, Austria

The chapel was built from 1697 to 1699 as a pilgrimage church in honor of Our Lady of Einsiedeln. At some point, in order to spread devotion to the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln…

Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Kaltenleutgeben
Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Kaltenleutgeben
Europe, Central Europe, Austria

In 1766, the parish chronicle relates that the „Black Madonna of Kaltenleutgeben“ was sculpted by a holy hermit in Altötting. He touched his faithful copy to the original in order to absorb…

Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Klagenfurt
Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Klagenfurt
Europe, Central Europe, Austria

The son of the earl, who built the copy of the Holy House of Loreto just outside of Klagenfurt on the Maria Loretto Peninsula, had this funeral chapel built for his family in the cathedral in 1660/61…

Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Klagenfurt, Maria Loretto Peninsula
Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Klagenfurt, Maria Loretto Peninsula
Europe, Central Europe, Austria

Klagenfurt is the capital of the state Carinthia, (Kärnten). In 1652 Earl Johann Andreas von Rosenberg had a castle built on what was then an island in Lake Wörther…

Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Kötschach
Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Kötschach
Europe, Central Europe, Austria

Our Dear Lady of Kötschach seems to be the only original Black Madonna in Austria. All the others are copies of the Black Madonnas the Austrians hold most dear…

Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Langenzersdorf
Europe, Central Europe, Austria
Langenzersdorf
Europe, Central Europe, Austria

In the church St Katharina, Langenzersdorf. This copy of the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, was installed in 1708.

Europe, Central Europe, Austria