Our Lady of Kodeń (Polish: *Matka Boża Kodeńska*), also venerated as the *Mother of Unity* and *Queen of Podlasie*, is a miraculous Marian image enshrined at the Basilica of St. Anne in Kodeń, eastern Poland. The icon, known as the Gregorian Madonna, is one of Poland's most treasured Marian images and the primary pilgrimage destination in the Podlasie region. ## 📜 History The story of Our Lady of Kodeń begins with Mikołaj Pius Sapieha, a Polish nobleman who suffered from a debilitating illness that left him paralyzed and deeply depressed. In 1631, at his wife's urging, Sapieha undertook an arduous pilgrimage to Rome despite his condition. There, Pope Urban VIII celebrated Mass for him in the papal chapel before an image called the Gregorian Madonna—a painting said to have been copied from a statue carved by St. Luke the Evangelist. During that Mass, Sapieha experienced a miraculous healing. Overwhelmed with love for the image, he begged the Pope to give it to him, but Urban VIII refused. According to popular legend, Sapieha then bribed the papal sacristan with 500 gold coins and spirited the painting away to Poland. When the Pope discovered the theft, he excommunicated Sapieha and forbade him from entering any church. Sapieha brought the image to his estate in Kodeń but, honoring the Pope's ban, could only gaze upon it through a window from the sacristy. Eventually, the Pope lifted the excommunication—reportedly in recognition of Sapieha's efforts to preserve Catholicism in Poland during a proposed Protestant royal marriage—and officially gifted the image to him. In 1723, Pope Innocent XIII granted papal crowns for the icon, which were placed on the image by Bishop Stefan Rupniewski. During the Russian partition of Poland, following the suppression of the January Uprising in 1864, the tsarist authorities confiscated the image and transferred it to Jasna Góra, where it remained for 52 years. In 1927, after Poland regained independence, the image was solemnly returned to Kodeń, and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate were entrusted with its care. In August 2023, the sanctuary celebrated the 300th anniversary of the coronation with new papal crowns blessed by Pope Francis. ## 🕯️ Titles and Veneration Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II, visited Kodeń multiple times and bestowed upon the image the title *Mother of Unity* (*Matka Jedności*). He noted playfully that "in Kodeń you have an image that belongs to the Pope." The faithful also venerate her as the *Queen of Podlasie*, recognizing her role as the spiritual patroness of Poland's eastern borderlands. ## ✨ Miracles and Graces Numerous healings have been attributed to Our Lady of Kodeń through the centuries. The sanctuary maintains records of testimonies from pilgrims who have received both physical and spiritual graces through Mary's intercession. Modern testimonies continue to be recorded, including healings from serious illnesses. ## 🎨 The Image The miraculous painting depicts the Virgin Mary wearing royal robes, holding the Christ Child in her left arm and a scepter in her right hand. The image follows the Byzantine style and is adorned with the papal crowns granted in 1723 and renewed in 2023.