Our Lady of Gietrzwald

Our Lady of Gietrzwałd refers to the Marian apparitions that took place in 1877 in the small village of Gietrzwałd, in present-day Poland. Between June and September of that year, the Virgin Mary appeared to two young girls, Justyna Szafryńska and Barbara Samulowska, near a maple tree by the parish church. These apparitions are especially significant because they occurred during a time of political oppression, when Polish language and culture were being suppressed under Prussian rule.

During the apparitions, Our Lady spoke to the children in the Polish language, a powerful sign of comfort and hope for the people. She called them to prayer, especially the daily recitation of the Rosary, and urged repentance and conversion of heart. Mary also emphasized the importance of perseverance in faith, assuring the faithful that through prayer and trust in God, their suffering would bear spiritual fruit.

One of the lasting signs associated with Gietrzwałd is the spring of water near the apparition site. Many pilgrims have reported spiritual and physical favors after praying there and using the water with faith. The messages of Gietrzwałd are simple yet profound, focusing on prayer, moral renewal, and fidelity to Christ and His Church, without sensational or apocalyptic elements.

After a careful and lengthy investigation, the Catholic Church officially approved the apparitions of Our Lady of Gietrzwałd in 1977, on their centenary, making them the only Marian apparitions in Poland formally recognized by the Church. Today, Gietrzwałd remains an important pilgrimage site, drawing the faithful who seek peace, healing, and a deeper devotion to Mary, who gently leads hearts toward her Son, Jesus Christ.