SW News: Dominican priests in the Polish city of Krakow have begun preparations for celebrating the centenary of the coronation of the miraculous picture of Our Lady of the Rosary enshrined in the Holy Trinity Basilica in the city. The celebrations will take place throughout the month of October. It will begin with a Marian concert on October 1 at 8:15 pm and the songs have been penned by Father Dawid Kusz, OP.

Three lectures will take place on the first Saturday of the month with the cooperation of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. The talks will focus on new areas such as the symbols of the Holy Mother in the Old Testament of the Bible; the difference between the Jesus prayer of Eastern Churches and the prayer of the Rosary.

On October 7, Thursday, the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, the celebration of Holy Mass will take place at 12:00 pm and it will be offered by Bishop Damian Muskus, OFM, Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow. Holy Mass, Rosary, and conferences will be held in the evening on all Saturdays throughout the month under the auspices of the Dominican fathers.

The Marian image was venerated from the beginning of the 17th century, and reports say that there have been stories of numerous conversions and miracles. There was one testimony by one of the members of the Rosary Brotherhood during World War 1. He was hit three times by shrapnel, but he escaped with minor wounds each time he was hit. Another testimony is that of women who prayed for their husbands during World War II and the Nazis did not forcibly take them to work in camps in Germany. People strongly believe that the miraculous image has always protected the city during trials and tribulations.

The painting is the replica of our Lady of the Snow from the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, also known as the Salus Populi Romani. Whenever Krakow was faced with disasters of any kind, the Marian painting was taken in processions on the Main Square or was placed in the central part of the church building.

The image was solemnly crowned by Archbishop Adam Sapieha way back in 1921 in the presence of almost 100,000 believers.