“Faith & Hope in the Marian Valley”
Speaking Words of Wisdom, Let It Be
The Byzantine-style icon in the Black Madonna Chapel is a focal point at the Marian Valley near Tamborine Mountain, in the Gold Coast Hinterland’s ‘Scenic Rim’ of South-East Queensland. Marian Valley is recognized as a sacred place and the visitor gains an impression of it being what is sometimes called a ‘thin place.’ Wandering through several acres of well-maintained gardens, one is struck by the diversity of nations to which shrines are dedicated.
I chose to visit on the 13th of the month, as I knew that each month on that date, they hold a procession from the Black Madonna Chapel down to the Grotto of Our Lady of Fatima. It’s a long walk into the Valley and they have a few of those electric carts, of the type used at airports and golf courses, for those who need assistance. Various nationalities were represented among the attendees and parts of the rosary and chanting were conducted in Maltese and Filipino (Tagalog). A couple of families who were evidently from Vietnam stopped a while at the La Vang shrine.
The phenomenon of ‘apparitions’ features repeatedly at these chapels. While the most famous historical cases are those of Fatima and Lourdes, both the reported appearances of Mary and the incidences of Black Madonnas occur worldwide. Many of these come from Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia – notably the Philippines and Japan. Events claimed as miracles often involve Mary in conjunction with the Sun, and I wrote about this in my blog last October, titled When the Sun Spins in the Sky.
Read the full article on Paul’s blog at his web site southernsunlightcom.wordpress.com.









