LITMANOVÁ

by Ala on in Slovakia

We have several pilgrimage sites in Slovakia and Litmanová is the newest of them. Litmanová is a small village with appr. 600 inhabitants and the first written mention dates back to 1412. However,  only the early 1990s saw this village becoming well known in my country as well as abroad. It all started on 5th August 1990 when the first alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary took place on a hill near the village. The name of the hill is Zvir Mountain.

Three children were picking blueberries here – Ivetka Korčáková who was 11 at the time,  Katka  Češelková who was 12 and her brother. However, the girls only could see the Virgin Mary. Ivetka talked to her as a visionary by means of the inner spiritual voice.  As the news about the apparitions spread, people started coming. Pilgrimages to Litmanová were organized from all Slovakia and from abroad.  There were miracles happening. The last apparition took place on 6th August 1995.

 

Let us go up the Zvir Mountain where we can see the Chapel of Our Lady of Litmanová steeple in front of us. Luckily there is no pilgrimage here now and we have this place almost just to ourselves 
The Chapel of Our Lady of Litmanová. On the slope from which we are looking at it, tens of thousands of Catholics are gathered when an open air service is celebrated here to commemorate the apparitions of the Virgin Mary 
The Chapel of Apparitition – as an inconspicous little log cabin stands now on the spot where it all happened 
The Chapel of Apparition – interior. The bench, on which Virgin Mary sat, is seen to the left 
On this spot = on this bench, now covered with cloth, the Virgin Mary appeared as The Immaculate Purity from 5th August 1990 until 6th August 1995. She was sitting on it and was talking to the girls. That is why now pilgrims coming here pray in front of it and kiss it 
The Immaculate Purity 
The Chapel of Our Lady of Litmanová  is to the left and the Chapel of Apparition is to the right