Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

«Gietrzwałd: la Virgen que habló en polaco»

Gietrzwald (Polonia) (1877)

In the village of Gietrzwałd, in the region of Warmia, in northern Poland, Marian apparitions took place in 1877, which the Church would officially recognize. The main seers were two girls, Justyna Szafryńska and Barbara Samulowska, who since the end of June of that year said to see the Virgin next to a maple, near the parish church.

The feature that touched the people most was that the Virgin spoke to them in Polish, her mother tongue, in a time of intense Germanization under Prussian rule. For the Polish faithful, oppressed in their tongue and faith, that was an immense love of the Mother, who reminded them that they were not forgotten. Our Lady asked, above all, for prayer.

Here is a clear link with the Rosary, which distinguishes Gietrzwałd from other sanctuaries where the relationship is only devotional: the Virgin expressly requested the prayer of the Rosary, and the devotion of the sanctuary was marked by that request. However, it is necessary to distinguish between the essential message, well attested in ecclesial recognition, and the detailed details of each dialogue, which vary according to the works and should be taken with caution.

The Church examined the case and officially recognized the authenticity of the apparitions, in what is considered the only known Marian apparition on Polish territory. The sanctuary was developed as an important place of pilgrimage, especially loved by Polish Catholic identity. Favors and healings are known mainly for testimonies and exvotes.