Marian Mantle Group


"Do whatever He tells you."   Jn 2:5

The Story of Our Lady of Šiluva
Patroness of Those who Pray for Lapsed Catholics

(including excerpts--in white text-- from an article by  Father Stasys Yla
Reprinted with permission from BRIDGES The Lithuanian American News Journal.
Read the entire article from the BRIDGES web site.)
 

Father Yla writes:

"Down through the centuries, the Mother of God has demonstrated that She is deeply concerned about the faithful who were entrusted to Her by Her Crucified Son on Mount Calvary. From time to time she has appeared in different places throughout the world to impart a message of hope and salvation to troubled mankind. In the early part of the 17th century, 1608, She appeared in Lithuania at a time when Lithuania was experiencing one of her darkest hours. The place was Šiluva. (pronounced Shiluva)

Šiluva was a small town in central Lithuania whose 2,000 or so inhabitants were for the most part poor farmers. The land was very sandy, quite barren, and overgrown with pine trees. In the Lithuanian language, a pine tree forest is known as šilas. Hence, the name of the town, Šiluva.

 It was here that in 1608 Our Lady appeared to some small children almost under the same circumstances as she did in Lourdes 250 years later."
 

Years later, while praying near a large boulder,  a group of children saw a sorrowing mother, holding her child and standing on the rock.  She appeared at a later date when the entire community was present.  All saw her.  When asked why she was crying she told them her tears fell because the people had forgotten her son.  Miraculously, the hearts of the entire town were moved to returned to the practice of Catholicism.  Later, Our Lady even disclosed the place where the sacred objects were burings, and her icon was returned to its place in the church.
 

"Papal Approval Given

 All the bishops in the Šiluva diocese approved of the devotion on the part of the faithful to Our Lady of Šiluva. This great devotion and the number of miracles prompted the ecclesiastical authorities to seek papal approval of the public devotion.

After extensive investigations by the local bishop, Pope Pius VI approved of the cult to Our Lady of Šiluva with enriched indulgences.

 On September 8th, 1786, with permission of the Chapter of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Miraculous Image was solemnly crowned.

According to Bishop M. Valancius, who wrote a study of Šiluva's history, the place was so popular that in 1629, during the annual ceremonies held on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, more than 11,000 faithful received Holy Communion."
 

Many miracles have been reported over the years by the faithful who pray at Siluva.  To further demonstrate the blessings received, in the late 1700's a bishop commissioned at statue of Our Lady for the chapel that had been built on the rock where she had appeared.  It was titled "Health of the Sick" and reportedly, many who prayed before it received the blessing of "renewed health of the body and the soul."

 Thus, we here at Marian Mantle go to Our Lady, under her many titles
and images which proclaim that she will intercede for us and carry our prayers to the feet of her son.  We go to  the Mother of Christ, the Sorrowful Mother, Our Lady of the Rosary--Our Lady of Siluva--and we ask, "pray for us and for our children."

Click here to read the entire article about Our Lady of Siluva.