Mary Undoer of Knots

Our Lady Undoer of Knots

 

The Marian devotion entitled Mary Untier of Knots shares its name with a 300 year old painting depicting Our Lady untying the knots of a white wedding ribbon. This painting played a significant role in the history of Mary Undoer of Knots Devotion. A German nobleman, Wolfgang Langenmantel was distressed when he found his wife Sophia was planning to divorce him.

 

To save his marriage, Wolfgang sought counsel from the wise and pious Fr. Jakob Rem. Fr. Rem, a Jesuit priest, was known to have a strong devotion to Mary. Dedicated to his marriage Wolfgang brought Sophia to meet with Fr. Rem 4 times in 28 days. On their fourth visit on September 28, 1615, the Langenmantel’s brought their wedding ribbon. In this time period it was customary for the maid of honor to tie together the arms of the bride and groom. This uniting of arms with a ribbon symbolized their union for life.

 

Before an image of Our Lady of Snows, Fr. Rem took the white ribbon and untied the knots one by one. When he finished the ribbon became dazzling white. This was taken as confirmation that Mary had heard their prayers. Fortunately, the divorce was averted, and the Langenmatels remained happily married.

 

In 1700, more than 85 years later, Wolfgang’s grandson Fr. Heironymus Ambrosius Langenmantel donated a family altar. He commissioned Johann Melchoir Georg Schmittdner to provide a painting representative of the Langenmantel family. Schmittdner became inspired by the story of Wolfgang and Sophia, and depicted the narrative within his painting. The original Baroque painting of ‘Mary Untier of Knots’, was completed and the image came to be venerated as Mary Undoer of Knots.

 

The painting has survived wars and revolutions, and continues to draw people to it. Today the original still hangs over the family altar found at the Church of St. Peter am Perlach in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany.

Pope Francis saw the image while in Germany as a student and promoted her veneration in Latin America. The painting portrays Mary dressed in a blue mantle with twelve stars above her head, standing on the serpent, crushing evil and untying the knots. Mary is seen as one who interceds for us to her Son, helping us to let go of what binds us, what ties us to this world, what causes discord, violence and despair, freeing us from the struggles and the "knots of our lives.

 

This nine day Novena will be begin at both Parishes around the weekend Masses beginning on September 28th and ending on October 7th.  During the week the Novena will be held at St. Patrick's at 3:00PM.  Please join us as we pray to Mary as she helps us to untie our knots!  See the bulletin for times.