Our Lady of Einsiedlen statue at the Abbey of Einsiedlen

In the 9th century, the monk St. Meinrad, of the family of the Counts of Hohenzollern, left one of the local monasteries to built a hermitage in the wilderness of today's Einsiedeln. He took with him a miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary given to him by the Abbess Hildegarde of Zurich. He soon became well-known in the local village for his kindness and holiness, and received many visitors and gifts.

On January 21, 861, two thieves murdered Meinrad for the treasure in his hermitage. According to legend, the murderers were apprehended after two ravens followed them into town and drew attention to them with loud squawking.

Our Lady of Einsiedlen stained glass window in the abbey church

In 940, a few Benedictine monks turned Meinrad's little hermitage into the "Lady Chapel." The chapel is said to have been consecrated by Christ himself on September 14, 948. The bishop who was to consecrate the new site had a vision in which the church was filled with a brilliant light as Christ approached the altar; the next day, when he went to perform the ceremony, he heard a voice saying the chapel had already been divinely consecrated. The miracle was confirmed by Pope Leo VIII 16 years later in a papal bull.

St. Meinrad had the Black Madonna statue (its dark color caused by years of candle smoke) as part of his altarpiece; it was placed in the Lady Chapel for veneration after his death. Many miracles were attributed to the intercession of "Our Lady of Einsiedeln," and pilgrimages to Einsiedeln began shortly after 1000 AD.

Our Lady of Einsiedlen statue at Subiaco Abbey

Pilgrimages to Einsiedeln were especially popular during the Middle Ages, when as many as 50,000 pilgrims streamed into the monastery each week.

Since 1620 the Benedictine abbey of Einsiedeln has had a school of theology for its own clerics, those of other abbeys, and students training to become priests. The small school has had 30 students at the most at one time.

Despite temporary setbacks to the pilgrimage tradition during the Reformation and especially the major destruction during the French Revolution, Einsiedeln continues to receive pilgrims - about 200,000 each year.

Subiaco History
Subiaco Coat of Arms