The post title is a bit of a mouthful, but Our Lady of Šiluva is the first Apparition of the Blessed Mother in Europe, occurring in 1608. Šiluva  is a small town in Lithuania. At the time of the apparition, the region was controlled by Calvinists who oppressed the Catholic Church and the appearance of Mary is credited with resolving the plight of local Catholics.

This chapel is located in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, located on the campus of The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. I attended the graduation ceremonies held last Saturday as my niece (my wife’s brother’s daughter) graduated with her BA degree. While there, I briefly walked through the main floor of the Basilica and took some pictures, although the results have my wishing I had taken a bit more time and care. Mostly pleased with this one.