VIRGIN OF QUINAU WITH UNBORN CHRIST 1300,TRUTZHAIN-QUINAUER PILGRIMAGE SHRINE, TRUTZHAIN,GERMANY
Trutzhain-Quinauer pilgrimage Shrine
![trutzhain_wallfahrtskirche[1]](http://unbornwordoftheday.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/trutzhain_wallfahrtskirche1.jpg?w=420)
St. Mariahilf (St. Mary Our Help Parish), Trutzhain,Germany
The Trutzhain Madonna - 'Mater gravida'. She is the 'pregnant Madonna' with the infant Jesus under her heart
This was a new version Of the Quinauer Madonna. 1987 artist: Uhrissen Anton
July 2, the Feast of the Visitation is the feast day of the sanctuary in the lower Quinau. It is a time for the pilgrims to honor the miraculous Virgin of Quinau. During the pilgrimage season pilgrims come daily in fancy dress from many places in the region to honor the Mother of God.
History of Quinau: The legend of the origin of the statue is as follows: A boy named Joseph kept sheep for his master on the spot where the church now stands. Once, the normally pious boy cursed while taking care of the cattle. Then came a voice: "Joseph, cease your anger and cursing, you insult my son, Jesus". Startled, Joseph turned his face in the direction from which the voice came and he saw the statue of Mary in a rocky niche . The boy fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness. Then he built a little chapel with stones and shrubs around the statue and performed his devotions there every day.
He concealed his experience for a long time. Then the boy became ill. During his illness, he betrayed his experience while delirious. When he awoke they questioned him and discovered little by little the whole story. The boy expressed the desire to be carried up the mountain to image of the Virgin. This took place on September 4, 1342 . The farmer who employed the boy took the image of Mary to his home. But the next day the statue was gone. Everyone in his household, denied taking the statue. After a long search they found the statue again at the previous location. The farmer took it back home and the event repeated itself. A few villagers had now heard of these events. They wanted to build a chapel in the village. But one day the building material disappeared. It had miraculously been taken to the top of the hill. People saw it as a sign from God and so with the permission of the landowner, Count von Lobkowitz Gallus Babelus, the chapel was built on the mountain top at the apparition site. St. Mariahilf a newer Chruch in Trutzhain has a modern version of the statue.
"How could he have shown his mercy more clearly than by taking on himself our condition? For our sake the Word of God became as grass....The incarnation teaches us how much God cares for us and what he thinks and feels about us...The smaller he became through his human nature the greater was his goodness; the more he lowered himself for me, the dearer he is to me." St. Bernard, O. Cist., Sermo 1, in Ephiphania Domini, 1 2: PL 133.
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