Our Lady of the Sejny Visitation

Marian Advocation of Sejny (Podlaquia)

The Marian devotion of Our Lady of Sejny (Matka Boża Sejneńska / Our Lady of Visitation) is linked to the Dominican church of Sejny, in northeastern Poland, near the border with Lithuania and Belarus. However, in the sources consulted in Spanish and in tourist portals there is no detailed legendary narrative of a "miraculous finding" or apparitions linked to this image; therefore, a concrete pious tradition about its origin cannot be rebuilt.

Main data

Origin and history

The Marian devotion of Our Lady of Sejny (Matka Boża Sejneńska / Our Lady of Visitation) is linked to the Dominican church of Sejny, in northeastern Poland, near the border with Lithuania and Belarus. However, in the sources consulted in Spanish and in tourist portals there is no detailed legendary narrative of a "miraculous finding" or apparitions linked to this image; therefore, a concrete pious tradition about its origin cannot be rebuilt.

On the plane documented historythe presence of the Dominic monasteries of the siglo XVII in Sejny, with its church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, today recognized as minor basilica. The present basilica is known as Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sejny, and is part of an architectural set that includes the ancient Dominican monastery. The fame of the Marian image grew over the centuries as a focus of pilgrimage in the north-eastern region, but the accessible online sources do not require exact dates of introduction of the image or its first records of miracles; they only point out that it is "famous for its numerous graces."

The image and the sanctuary

The tourist and devotional sources describe the Our Lady of Sejny like a unique sculpture, of three arms, which when opened "represents...," indicating that it is an articulated or unfolding image, probably of a type triptic or image-like-altarpiece, although the complete details of the iconography are not explained in the sources consulted. The material (wood / polychrome) in the sources in Spanish or general disclosure is not clearly recorded, although, because of the historical and stylistic context of the area, it can reasonably be assumed that this is a wood size; however, this assumption is not explicitly documented, so it is maintained as a hypothesis and not as a secure data.

The sanctuary is located in the Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sejny, also called the church of Santa Maria or the Assumption of Santa Maria in some tourist listings. It's a temple of three ships, with east-oriented presbytery and internally supported by six pillars, according to historical architectural description. The set is part of the antiguo Dominican monasteries (Klasztor Podabikański), located in the square of Santa Águeda (Plac św. Agaty), which today also functions as a museum. The church has been recognized as minor basilicaas indicated by the tourist and photographic lists of the "Minor Basilica of Santa Maria in Sejny."

Sponsorship and coronation

The sources consulted describe the image as "Our Lady of Sejny, famous for her many graces", indicating a deep-rooted Local and regional ownershipespecially on the city of Sejny and the border area of Podlaquia and the neighbouring Lithuanian region. However, there are no online documents that explicitly define Matka Boża Sejneńska as an official patron of the diocese or of a national entity; therefore, it can only be stated with certainty that the importance as local patron and reference sanctuary in the region.

As for the canonical coronation, in the sources consulted (including tourist summaries, sanctuaries descriptions and sacred art references) does not contain a documented canonical coronation of the image of Our Lady of Sejny, there are no secure dates or the name of a pontiff or delegate who had made it. By strict historical prudence and following the above rules, it must be stated: does not contain a documented canonical coronation for this advocation in Sejny.

Party and devotion

The church is dedicated to the Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so, according to the Latin liturgy, the temple's titular feast is the 2 July (in the old calendar) or 31 May (according to the liturgical reform of Paul VI). However, the sources consulted on the Sejny shrine do not explicitly indicate a "Fiesta principal" propia de la imagen with confirmed date (for example, a coronation, anniversary of a miracle or specific civil patron party), so that is not sure the exact date of the main local Marian pilgrimage; it can only be inferred that the most prominent celebrations are linked to the Marian solemnities of the general calendar and, in particular, to the Visitation.

The tourist descriptions indicate that Our Lady of Sejny is famous for her many graces, which makes this place a traditional pilgrimage sanctuary in northeastern Poland. Sejny is presented as a city with "ancestral devotion" and the basilica as a reference point for visitors and pilgrims who come to venerate the image. There are no official figures of inflow in the sources consulted, nor detailed descriptions of specific popular rituals (specific processions, votes, exvotes, etc.), beyond the general indication that it is an important Marian sanctuary in the border region.

Link to the Rosary

In the sources consulted on Sejny and his sanctuary no specific and documented link of the advocation of Our Lady of the Visitation of Sejny with a fellowship of the Rosary, self-indulgences for the prayer of the Rosary or other particular forms of "own" rosaries of the sanctuary.

However, since it is a Marian santuary historically governed by dominicsand knowing that the Order of Preachers is one of the main diffusers of the Rosary in the Church, it is consistent to consider that the prayer of the Rosary has consistently accompanied devotion to Matka Boża Sejneńska, although the general sources do not specify it expressly. In a general mariological perspective, the mystery of the Visitation in the Rosary as the the second joyous mystery, so the meditation of the Rosary allows us to intimately unite our devotion to Our Lady of Sejny with the charity of Mary who "is on the way" to Elizabeth, a model of service, encounter and joy in the Spirit.