Browse Black Madonnas
Meerveldhoven, 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.
Prešov, Slovakia
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.
Penrose, 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.
Ethiopia, Abuna Yemata Guh
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.
Oirschot
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.
Handel
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.
Miami
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.
Austin, Texas
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.
Vienna Altlerchenfeld
A copy of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the “Queen of Poland”
Amity, Oregon
According to Raylene Abbott this statue of Our Lady of Consolation in the Brigittine Monastery of Amity Oregon is a Black Madonna. The distaff in her hand represents feminine wisdom and power. She exudes peace and strength in the beautiful garden of teh Brigittine monks at the Priory of Our Lady of Consolation. The oldest image of Our Lady of Consolation is a 5th century icon in Turin, attributed, like many other Black Madonnas, to St. Luke the Evangelist.
Mayfield
The 15th century Mayfield Madonna is listed in Ean Begg’s index of Black Madonnas. Unfortunately, she is not accessible to the public because she lives in a boarding school that once was the palace of an archbishop. Her big right hand points to the earth: our Heavenly Mother pointing the way back to our Mother Earth.
Boulogne-sur-Mer
The Black Madonna of Boulogne-sur-mer miraculously appeared alone in a boat in 633 A.D. in France’s most important fishing harbor since Roman times. She has been stolen, mutilated, dragged through the mud, and burnt at the stake by the enemies of France and Catholicism, but she was always brought back to life by the devotion of her children.
Dijon
The brown Lady of Good Hope was painted black in the 1500’s likely in order to gain power and prestige and draw more visitors to the city. It worked! She promptly responded with the sort of miracles Black Madonnas are famous for: chasing off foreign armies and such. Sadly in 1963 she was stripped of her dark paint and Black Madonna title. No more miracles have been recorded since then. Serves them right!
Évrecy
Black Madonna near Evrecy, Normandy on the pilgrimage route from Caen to Mont Saint Michel, erected in 1871 by Madame de Bonnefons, lady of the nearby castle Champs Goubert, in thanksgiving that the village and castle were spared in the Prussian (German) invasion the year before.
Guingamp
With its Black Madonna, labyrinth, and its legend of an ancient Black Madonna under the earth Guingamp, Brittany competed for centuries with Chartres, 400 km to the East. To this day it honors its Lady of Good Help with festivities known as ‘the Pardon of Our Lady’. Unlike in Chartres, there is no whitening the Black Madonna or covering the labyrinth with chairs or slacking off of devotion here!
Laghet
Miracle working Our Lady of Laghet near Nice and Monte-Carlo in a retreat center run by Catholic nuns. The dark copy in the crypt reminiscent of the original Black Madonna
Mayres
Notre Dame de la Roche in Mayres near Clermont Ferrand, whom Dr. Cleveland calls Our Lady of the Side-Eye. 14th century statue commemorating the vision of a 12 C monk. Is she rolling her eyes at White patriarchs or what? Anybody have a better picture please?
Menton
I believe the “Black Virgin of Menton” is a copy of the Black Madonna of Montserrat, her famous sister venerated 700 km to the South. For the centuries, the faithful wouldn’t hesitate to walk that far in search for a miraculous healing. Once they were granted their wish, they would give public thanks with an ex-voto, a painting commemorating the miracle. That’s what we are looking at here.
Myans
The Romanesque Black Madonna of Myans became famous when she stopped a giant avalanche of rocks at the door step of her church, where a group of Franciscan monks had taken refuge after getting kicked out of their abbey.