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Our Lady of Good Counsel
There are many devotions and titles for the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Our Lady of Good Counsel, also spelled
Our Lady of Good Council, is the title given to Our
Lady in Albania. The Albanian name for Our Lady of Good
Counsel is Lady of Shkodra.
The people of Albania prayed to Our Lady of Good Councel
during the terrible years when they were under religious
persecution and invaded by foreign armies. The Albanian
prayer to Our Lady is "O Nane, Zoje e Shkodres,
Lutu per Shiqipni" which translates "O Mother,
Our Lady of Shkodra - pray for Albania".
When the Ottoman Turkish army invaded Albania during
the 1400's, the church of Our Lady of Good Counsel became
a place of solace and hope for the Albanian people.
The Miracle of Our Lady of Good Counsel
Two Albanian men escaped from the Turks and ran into
the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel to pray for safety.
While kneeling before the painting of Our Lady, they
saw the painting moving out from the wall. The painting
led the two men to Rome and then it disappeared. The
painting miraculously appeared in the next town of Genazzano.
This is where the two men lived for the rest of their
days.
Devotion to Our Lady of Good Councel
The people of Albania have been devoted to Our Lady
of Good Counsel since the 15th century. Catholics from
Albania celebrate two feasts in her honor and Christians
gather from all over the country at the Our Lady of
Good Counsel Cathedral.
They sing this ancient prayer to Our Lady, "Mother
of Good Counsel, return to us. On the path of peace
lead us.
Images of Our Lady of Good Counsel
Images of Our Lady of Good Counsel are displayed in
Catholic homes all through Albania. Our Lady of Good
Councel jewelry is also worn by devout Catholics in
honor of Our Lady and her miraculous powers. Almost
all Catholics from Albania wear some type of Our Lady
of Good Councel medal or Our Lady of Good Councel pendant
in the hopes that the Blessed Virgin will keep the people
free from persecution and in the love of Jesus.
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