Holy Mary of the Oak
Lucignano, Italy (1467)
In 1417, Feliciano Batone painted a fresco of the Pieta on a wayside shrine beneath a great oak. Fifty years later, there was a surge in devotion to the Madonna of the Oak after the story circulated that on August 8, 1467 a man from Siena, running from his enemies, stopped there to pray to Mary, who made him invisible to his pursuers. A small wooden chapel was built to protect the image and consecrated that year. Located on a hill northeast of the old city center, the present church was consecrated in 1617. On the third Sunday of September, near the feast of the Sorrowful Mother on September 15, Lucignano celebrates St. Mary of the Oak with religious services, food, games, and fireworks.
Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill
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