The Black Madonna of Amity, Oregon

I drove up old Hwy 99 taking in the scenery of the autumn leaves and vineyards changing colors. The hazelnut trees were heavily laden with nuts ready for harvest. Hidden in the Willamette Valley, Oregon is one the most beautiful Black Madonnas I have seen on the West Coast. She graces the garden of the Brigittine Monastery outside of Amity. The Brigittine Order was established by St. Birgitta of Sweden in the year of 1370. This small order of Brigittine Monks live a simple life which is deeply rooted in the Love of Christ, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the celebration of the Eucharist. The order was founded by St. Bridget of Sweden both monks and cloistered nuns follow the Rule of St Augustine. St. Bridget’s granddaughter Lady Ingegerd Knutsdotter, the Abbess in the order, turned the Royal Castle of Vadstena into a monastery in the year of 1369. The monks of Amity are a contemplated order living their life in silence, prayer and work. They are a self-supporting monastery which creates a variety of artisan chocolate truffles. I did not come for the chocolate today I came to pray and commune in the Silence of the Monastery Garden before the Black Madonna Our Lady of Consolation. There are many different countries that have shrines and pilgrimages to Our Lady of Consolation, She is also referred to as “Consolatrix Affictorum,” (Comforter of the Afflicted.) This title origins come from a prayer “The Litany of Loreto '' created by the Augustines Order, the same Rule that the Brigittine monks of Oregon follow. The Augustine rosary is also known as Corana of Our Lady of Constatation, (The Crown of Our Lady of Constatation Lady.) There are two statues of Our Lady of Consolation at Amity Monastery, the Black Virgin of the Garden and a White Madonna that graces the monastery chapel. The chapel’s statue holds the Infant Jesus. This statue is influenced by the Spanish icon tradition. The Spanish Madonna icons have doll-like features and were Influenced by the Queens of Spain. The Madonnas are dressed in handmade clothing of silk, satin, brocade and curled hair. Their wardrobe changes with the season and festival holidays. Our Lady of Consolation is well known in Minimos, an ancient convent of Spain where pilgrimages to Utrera were so crowded that the Marshals of Seville had to be called in for crowd control. This 16th century pilgrimage to Our Lady of Consolation is going strong to this present day. Our Lady of Minimos is a replica of a much older icon of Our Lady of Consolation in Turin, Italy. According to legend the original painting of Our Lady of Consolation of Turin is said to be painted by St. Luke. St. Luke’s Madonna paintings were always Black Virgins and were attributed to a variety of miracles including natural disasters, plagues, and saving children from a certain death. Yet in the 12th centuries there were known Artist Guilds of painters called Luke. It was in Rome they were known as Compagnia de San Luca. These guilds were known to copy the style of the first painting attributed to St. Luke. Nevertheless miracles still happen around these paintings of the Black Madonnas. Our Lady of Turin the Madonna della Consolata was given to the Bishop of Turin by St. Euebius in the 5th century brought from Palestine. It was in 820 many of the icons were being destroyed in the Byzantine Empire, because of this the monks hid Madonna della Consolata in the oratory. The church went into ruins and the icon was lost in the rubble. Fast forward to the year 1014 the Marquis of Ivea was on the brink of death when he had a vision of Mother Mary accompanied by St. Mary Magdalene and St. Benedict. It was in this vision Mary instructed the Marquis to build her three chapels in Turin. Marquis' health was restored and went to work building the three chapels next to an ancient Roman wall. It was in the process of digging the foundation for the three chapels that the painting of Madonna della Consolata was found in the Earth untouched by time. This chapel became the Church of St Andrew. Again in 1104 the Church of St. Andrew fell to ruin, but this time a blind man, Jean Revais of Briancon, France had a dream of Our Lady. She instructed Revais exactly where in Turin she was buried. Revais made a pilgrimage to Turin and with the help of the town’s people recovered Madonna della Consolata in the ruins under the bell tower of the church, miraculously Revais' sight was restored. The icon of Our Lady of Turin today is not a Black Madonna yet it was common that many Black Madonnas have been painted over much like Our Lady of the Pillar in Chartre, France was in this century. The Garden Madonna of the Brigittine Monastery is Black. This Black Virgin was sculpted in Sweden which gives this icon a rich old world tradition much like statues you may find in one of the grand cathedrals of Europe. More often than not Our Lady of Consolation is found as a White Madonna yet there is a reference to a Black Madonna in Poland Matki Bozej Pocieszenia.” The Augustine Order became responsible for the shrine of this Black Madonna in 1403. This Black Madonna arrived in Pilzen somewhere in the eight hundreds. They hung the icon in the castle tower in a chapel protecting the city from invaders. Yet Poland had another war this time in 1657 during the “Swedish Deluge” a series of wars that lasted five years which began by the countries of Sweden and Russia trying to expand their empire. It was during this war the icon was damaged by fire but restored. Maybe this is why the modern rendition of the Black Madonna was chosen by Brigittine Monks. Their order did originate in Sweden. Maybe Our Lady became a Peace token between the forgotten war against Poland. Also the keepers of the shrine of Black Madonna in Poland were the Augstines. The Black Madonna of Amity finds her place is a simple garden surrounded by butterfly bushes buzzing with bees. This Madonna also holds Baby Jesus in one arm with a distaff in her hand. The distaff is a powerful woman’s symbol. And many of the Bon Mere Madonnas of France also hold distaff as the specters of authority. The distaff holds flax or wool so it can be fed between the fingers to be spun onto a drop spindle or spinning wheel. The distaff refers to the Mother Linkage in a family. Ean Begg in his book (The Cult of the Black Madonna) says, quote: “The distaff sign of practical feminine wisdom is the woman’s magic wand of transformation in that almost alchemical process the production of Linen from flax. The third of the riddles posed by the Queen of Sheba to Solomons had as its answer the word flax.” unquote It is not unusual to find European Black Madonnas holding distaffs yet the Black Madonna of the Brigittine Monastery is a little bit different. The Baby Jesus also holds a distaff. Our Dark Lady of Consolation reminds us that when we pray, wrongs can be made right, the blind can see, and the afflicted can be healed and restored to good health. Lady of Consolation of Amity is not only a beautiful Black Madonna but when one truly sinks into the Silence and Prayer of this Monastery Garden the Blessing truly can be revealed. You can also support the monastery after your visit by enjoying and purchasing some of their chocolate delights. Brigittine Monastery open 9-5 everyday except Sunday 1-5

Research References Black Madonna of Amity: Ean Begg in his book (The Cult of the Black Madonna) first publishing 1985 by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd https://olcparishrockford.com/parish/our-patroness/ https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/04/4-september-feast-of-our-lady-of-consolation/ http://www.italianrenaissanceresources.com/units/unit-1/essays/saint-luke-paints-the-virgin-and-child-genealogy-of-an-image/ https://dailyjournal.net/2021/11/06/new-perspective-artist-creates-elaborate-optical-illusion-in-whiteland/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santuario_della_Consolata https://www.thecompassnews.org/2020/10/painted-by-st-luke/