Our Lady of Kevelaer

Our Lady of Kevelaer, venerated under the title *Consolatrix Afflictorum* (Comforter of the Afflicted), is a Marian devotion centered on a small copper engraving enshrined at Kevelaer, Germany, since 1642. The image is a copy of the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Luxembourg, patroness of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. ## Origin of the Devotion In 1641, during the devastation of the Thirty Years' War, a humble merchant named Hendrik Busman repeatedly heard a mysterious voice at a wayside crucifix near Kevelaer commanding him: "Build me a chapel here." His wife Mechel Schrouse subsequently had a vision of a small chapel containing an image of Our Lady of Luxembourg bathed in radiant light. Following these mystical experiences, the couple obtained a copper engraving (measuring just 75mm × 110mm) depicting Mary as the Comforter of the Afflicted, and Hendrik built a simple wayside shrine. On June 1, 1642, the parish priest Father Johannes Schink installed the image in the new shrine. Pilgrims arrived immediately, and on September 8 of that same year—the Feast of the Nativity of Mary—the first documented miracle occurred when Peter van Volbroek, paralyzed for five years, was healed after his parents prayed before the image. ## The Miraculous Image The copper engraving dates to approximately 1640 and was likely produced in Antwerp. It depicts the crowned Virgin Mary wearing a wide open cloak, holding the crowned Christ Child with a globe on her left arm and a scepter in her right hand. In the background, the city of Luxembourg and its Marian shrine are visible. The Latin inscription reads: "True picture of the Mother of Jesus, Comforter of the Afflicted" (*Vera effigies Matris Jesu, Consolatricis Afflictorum*). Pope Leo XIII authorized the solemn coronation of the image in 1892. Today, the small engraving is surrounded by precious ex-votos and gifts, including a rosary offered by Pope John Paul II during his 1987 visit, and a gift from Luxembourg inscribed: "A token of love from the mother to the daughter." ## Significance and Veneration The title *Consolatrix Afflictorum* emphasizes Mary's maternal role in comforting those who suffer—particularly appropriate given that the devotion arose during one of Europe's most devastating conflicts. Pilgrims have journeyed to Kevelaer for nearly four centuries seeking Mary's intercession for healing, consolation, and grace. The original shrine is now enclosed within the hexagonal Gnadenkapelle (Chapel of Grace), built in 1654, which remains the spiritual heart of the pilgrimage. A perpetual lamp burns before the image, its flame brought from Lourdes via Altötting in 1949. ## Feast Days **September 8** – Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorating the date of the first miracle in 1642 **August 15** – Solemnity of the Assumption, patronal feast of the Marienbasilika Kevelaer is the only German-speaking pilgrimage site where the Apostolic Blessing is bestowed four times annually—a privilege granted by Pope Leo XIII in 1884. ## Principal Shrine **Gnadenkapelle (Chapel of Grace)** Kapellenplatz, 47623 Kevelaer, Germany Over one million pilgrims visit Kevelaer annually, making it Germany's largest Catholic pilgrimage destination and the most visited Marian shrine in northwest Europe.