Our Lady of Czestochowa
The story of Our Lady of Czestochowa is centered on a famous icon of the Virgin Mary, which is considered a national symbol of Poland. Legends claim the icon was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist on a tabletop made by Saint Joseph, and it gained miraculous status after surviving attacks, such as vandalism by the Hussites and a 1655 invasion by the Swedish army. The icon's dark color is a result of centuries of smoke and soot from candles. It is housed in the Jasna Gória Monastery, where it remains a major pilgrimage site for Poles and is considered the "Queen of Poland".