On Saturday evening, May 10th, the visit of Our Lady of Czestochowa, also known as "Black Madonna," began in the Chicago parishes. The Icon is traveling from parish to parish throughout the Archdiocese, under the honorary chairmanship of His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., the Archbishop of Chicago.
After leaving Life Issues Institute the icon was then brought to St. Gertrude Parish, which is connected to St. Gertrude’s Priory, a formation house for the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. About 400 people came to venerate the Black Madonna, forming long lines formed after the prayer service, which included the exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, as well as a reading from Scripture and a homily by Fr. West.
During Her visit in Cincinnati in the State of Ohio, on May 9th, Our Lady of Częstochowa, peregrinating across the world in defense of human life, stopped at the headquarters of the Life Issues Institute to honor Dr. Jack Willke, the father of the world’s pro-life movement.

On Thursday, May 8th, we drove through the beautiful bluegrass country of Kentucky into rural Southern Ohio listening to the timeless music that was born in the area. The two states, separated by the Ohio River, share much of the same rural culture, including its rich, traditional Christian values.

The Black Madonna continued her journey through the Kentucky Bluegrass region from Louisville to Lexington - Kentucky’s second largest city. Kentucky means “meadow lands” in several Indian languages. In the early 19th century farmers noticed that horses raised in this area were more hardy due to the high content of calcium in the soil. Lexington has since become known as the “Horse Capital of the World”.
- The Black Madonna meets the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and stands amidst 3,000 crosses
- Bishop Paprocki and Our Sorrowful Mother’s Ministry Welcome the Black Madonna
- A Canonization on Divine Mercy Sunday, Celebrated at Our Lady’s Shrine
- East Meets West in Indianapolis
- Easter at St. Francis Borgia in Chicago
- Holy Week – a visit at the Polish Mission in Brampton, Canada
- Benedictine College welcomes Our Lady
- The Black Madonna at Carhart’s Infamous Abortuary
- After the Flood, a Renewal
- A Time of Special Grace: the Black Madonna Visits Rock Island