Monday 5 January 2015

Regina Poloniae

Regina Poloniae, Hednesford Catholic church

This installation in Hednesford's Roman Catholic church neatly sums up the influence of the local Polish population in this former mining town.

The Poles came here to work in the mines after the war, and brought their fervent native religiosity with them: the Black Madonna is a famous icon of Polish devotion.  The shield on the left shows the Polish eagle, and the one of the right shows the arms of the Papacy.  The words Regina Poloniae mean 'Our Lady, Queen of Poland'.

1 comment:

  1. Interesting design in this- I have heard of the Black Madonna.

    There are churches here in Ontario with a strong Polish connection, including an area to the west with a very strong Polish presence and a magnificent church that's still the heart of the community.

    ReplyDelete

Hi. If you choose to comment using a non-Google account - write the comment, click Publish, click the captcha, and click Publish again