Opposite the Ottoman Empire stood the Virgin Mary

On November 4, 1696, an icon in the parish church of the small town of Pócs in Hungary began to shed tears. Many witnesses made a sworn statement to testify to the fact.

The news of the miracle reached the imperial court of Vienna in Austria. The emperor then sent for the Marian image and had it exhibited in the Cathedral of St Stephen of Vienna. Thanks to this icon, Marian devotion grew among the Austrian people, especially after the battle of Zenta against the troops of the Turkish sultan, which took place in 1697 in the province of Vojvodina, in present-day Serbia.

In fact, this battle of the Austro-Turkish war turned out to be decisive, representing one of the worst defeats ever inflicted on the Ottoman Empire. It was a great victory where many people felt the intercession of the Mother of God.

The devotion to Our Lady of Pötsch is still alive, not only in Austria, but also in the old town of Pócs, in Hungary, where a copy of the image wept miraculous tears in 1715 and 1905. Pócs is currently a major pilgrimage site and the most important shrine for the Greek-Catholics of Hungary.

Source: Opus Dei