In the Vatican Gardens, the mosaic of Our Lady of Sorrows is inaugurated
Patroness of Slovakia
A new Marian mosaic has been inaugurated and blessed in the Vatican Gardens. It is the work dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, Patroness of Slovakia. The ceremony took place on Friady morning, , in the presence of the President of the Slovak Republic, H.E. Mr. Peter Pellegrini.
The event was introduced by Father Pavol Zvara, Rector of the Pontifical Slovak Institute of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Rome, followed by remarks from the President of the Slovak Republic and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. Subsequently, Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, addressed those present. Then, Monsignor Bernard Bober, Metropolitan Archbishop of Košice and President of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference, blessed the mosaic. The interventions concluded with remarks by H.E. Juraj Priputen, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Holy See.
Devotion to Mary in Slovakia originated with the veneration of the Virgin honored at the Sanctuary of Marianka, considered the oldest Marian pilgrimage site in the country and, at the same time, one of the oldest in Central Europe, dating back to the 11th century. The first written records of this sacred place appear in 1367. The Sanctuary preserves a precious and miraculous statue of Our Lady and, for many centuries, was a pilgrimage destination for sovereigns, nobles, and ordinary faithful. Later, this tradition also found expression in devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, which took root in the 16th century.
Address by Archbishop Emilio Nappa
I extend a respectful greeting to the President of the Slovak Republic, H.E. Peter Pellegrini,
to the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, His Eminence Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti,
to the President of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Košice, H.E. Monsignor Bernard Bober,
to the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Holy See, H.E. Juraj Priputen,
to the Rector of the Pontifical Slovak Institute of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Rome, Father Pavol Zvara,
to the Ambassadors,
to the Authorities, and to all of you present.
We are gathered in the Vatican Gardens to inaugurate and bless the mosaic depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lasy of Sorrows, Protectress of Slovakia. The original wooden statue is preserved in the Sanctuary of Šaštín, where the Virgin is venerated every year by thousands of faithful.
For Slovaks, that Sanctuary is much more than a simple church: it is like a great common home, where Mary welcomes anyone who arrives, with the same tenderness of a mother awaiting her children.
In that place, for generations, the Slovak people have found consolation and help, because in the Mother’s house no one feels like a stranger.
In Slovakia, Our Lady of Sorrows is also known as Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows. Devotion to the Virgin of Šaštín has ancient origins. Everything began in 1564, when Angelika Bakičová, desiring the Virgin’s help so her husband might overcome his irascible temperament, commissioned a statue of the Sorrowful Mother. People began to pray before the statue, to which many healings and spiritual favors were attributed.
In 1927, Pius XI officially proclaimed Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows the principal Patroness of Slovakia, a recognition that further consolidated an already widespread devotion.
Saint John Paul II, during his apostolic pilgrimage to the Slovak Republic, also visited the Sanctuary of Šaštín on , 1995, to honor the Virgin by celebrating Mass there.
The presence of this mosaic is an important opportunity to strengthen the bonds of friendship and affection of the Slovak people toward the Successor of Peter and to assure him of constant prayer to Mary for his intentions. For this, I thank the promoters of the initiative on behalf of the Governorate of the Vatican City State.
