Detroit has tons of walks but a walk to end violence is very necessary and that is why I hope people attend this event because I definitely plan to attend.
Sunday 12 September 2010 ~ Detroit, Michigan USA
Details:
When: This walk is now being planned and will take place on Sunday, 12 September 2010 beginning at 8:00 a.m. in Detroit, Michigan U.S.
Where: Beginning at Central High School on Tuxedo St., down Linwood St. to the Shrine of the Black Madonna.
Who: Mothers (and all who support Mothers) and others who have lost a child(ren) to violence (or whose child is incarcerated).
Why: Because in as much as each human living survived the birth process, we all have a right to life and because the violence must end. Mary (the mother of Jesus of Nazareth) was only a teenager when Jesus was born. We do not know for certain, but she was likely not even 50 at the time of his brutal murder. She is the model strength for suffering mothers everywhere. She is especially an outstanding beacon for young women around the world to emulate. She is is also a powerful example of one who knows the process of spiritual healing to overcome the effects of despair. She is a reminder of the pain a woman bears who has lost her child(ren) to violence. Yet, she is also a symbol of courage one can carry inside while working to end the violence. The Black Madonna crosses religious lines in that Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus and others can identify with her and will support the cause and purpose of this Walk. Each step along the route will be a renewed commitment to our voice against violence and proclamation to stop it everywhere..
Other Activities: A special Friday night forum and Sunday ecumenical program and a participatory ceremony are being planned. This is a process on the Path to Peace. To participate in this Walk, email us with your contact information.
Background: Two of the women on the organizing committee for this Ecumenical Walk have experienced and survived violence within their own families. One has lost a son (Osakwe Jahi) and the other a father (George Washington Crocheron). But whoever death claims unjustly leaves behind a Mother or loved one who is permanently scared. This Ecumenical Walk is a tribute to all Mothers who have mourned then found the strength to live on.
Who is The Black Madonna? The simplest answer is ~ she is the Mother of Jesus the Christ of Nazareth. The Black Madonna is revered by worshipers around the world. All together there have been 450 or more statues and paintings of Mary around the world that are/were renown in which she is depicted with dark or black/brown skin and the majority of these can still be found in Europe. Wikipedia and other websites have fascinating articles about this topic. One website in particular has the interesting title Black Madonnas:
Still Black and Still Venerated.
Below is just a brief description of the Black Madonna
When reporting Pope John Paul II’s visit to Egypt in February of 2000, the Papal News Service stated: "Christianity and the world’s culture owe much to the Church of Egypt.”
"The Black Madonna cult is central to the Priory [of Sion]. . .To them at least, there is no doubt about the significance of the Black Madonna. Pierre Plantard de Saint-Clair writes explicitly, 'The Black Virgin is Isis and her name is Notre Dame de Lumiere [Our Lady of the Lights]." An informative exposition of Jeremiah 7:18 demonstrates that the Papal worship of the Virgin Mary is in essence the worship of the Babylonian Queen of Heaven, who is worshiped today as the Black Madonna by approximately 75% of the world's population!
In 2006, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox wrote an intriguing article entitled The Return of the Black Madonna: A Sign of Our Times or How the Black Madonna Is Shaking Us Up for the Twenty-First Century. Below are just a few of the points from his paper:
Every archetype has its seasons. They come and go according to the deepest, often unconscious, needs of the psyche both personal and collective. Today the Black Madonna is returning.[1] She is coming, not going, and she is calling us to something new (and very ancient as well).
Within his essay, Dr. Fox interjects what he calls "a personal story": ...my first encounter with the Black Madonna. That encounter occurred in the Spring of 1968 when I was a student in Paris and took a brief trip—my first—to Chartres Cathedral located about thirty five miles from Paris. While all of Chartres was an amazing eye-opener for me, its sense of cosmology and humor and human dignity and inclusion of all of life, I stood before the statue of the black Madonna and was quite mesmerized. “What is this? Who is this?” I asked myself....
Before this Catholic priest goes on to list 11 reasons why the Black Madonna is so relevant in today's world, he makes this statement: She comes to shake us up which, as we shall see, is an ancient work of Isis, the Black Madonna
You may find it interesting to read the entire article, just to see the wide range of thinking about this phenomenal woman.
Below, at the end of this page you will find some extraordinary artistic attempts to portray the Black Madonna from around the world across the Internet.
Future: A Memorial Park
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