National Shrine of MaryMother of the Church

Mary, Untier of Knots

Pope Francis has a great devotion to Mary, Untier of Knots.


St. Irenaeus, a second century bishop, wrote “the knot of Eve’s disobe-dience was loosed by the obedience of Mary.  The knot represents our sins and the more we sin, the tighter the knot is pulled. God’s grace, offered to us through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, can undo any knot and conquer any sin." 


A German nobleman, Wolfgang Langenmantel (1568-1637) was distraught when his wife Sophia was planning to divorce him.  To save the marriage, Wolfgang sought counsel from Fr. Jakob Rem, a Jesuit priest, respected for his wisdom and piety, at the University of Ingolstadt.  On his fourth visit there on 28 September 1615, Wolfgang brought his ‘wedding ribbon’ to Fr. Rem.  In the marriage ceremony of that time and place, the maid of honor joined together the arms of the bride and groom with a ribbon to symbolize their union for life. Fr. Rem, in a solemn ritual act, raised the ribbon before the image of ‘Our Lady of the Snows’, while at the same time untying its knots one by one.  As he smoothed out the ribbon, it became dazzling white. This was taken as confirmation that their prayers were heard. Consequently, the divorce was averted, and Wolfgang remained happily married!

To commemorate the turn of the century in the 1700, Wolfgang’s grandson, installed a family altar in the church and commissioned Schmidtner to do a painting to be placed over the altar. Schmidtner was so inspired by the story of the saved marriage, he based his painting on it.
The image came to be venerated as Mary, Untier of Knots. The painting has survived wars, revolutions and secular opposition and continues to draw people to it.  The devotion to Mary, Untier of Knots, was localized to Germany during the 18th century, however, during the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant dis-aster, victims sought help through the intercession of Mary, Untier of Knots. The first chapel with that name was built in Styria, Austria in 1989. The painter, Weiss, used a technique of painting under glass. It differs from the original because the artist took his theme from the Chernobyl tragedy.

Since 1998, the devotion to Mary, Untier of Knots has been spreading in South America thanks to the "Mary, Undoer of Knots, Novena" was published.  It has been translated into 20 languages.  In 2006 the couple who published the Novena, founded the National Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary, Untier of Knots, in Campinas Brazil.  In 2000, a chapel dedicated to Mary, Untier of Knots was inaugurated in Argentina.

Mary, Untier of Knots can untie "...all problems and struggles we face for which we do not see any solution...Knots of discord in our family, lack of understanding between parents and children, disrespect, violence, the Knots of deep hurts between husband and wife, the absence of peace and joy at home. 

There are also the Knots of anguish and despair of separated couples, the dissolution of the family, the Knots of drug addiction, sick or separated from home or God, Knots of alcoholism, abortion, depression, unemployment, fear, solitude..."

Prayer:
Holy Mary, full of God’s presence during the days of your life, you accepted with full humility the Father’s will and the devil was never capable to tie you with his confusion. Once with your Son you interceded for our difficulties and full of kindness and patience you gave us example of how to untie the knots of our life.  And by remaining forever Our Mother, you put in order, and make clearer the ties that link us to the Lord. Holy Mother, Mother of God, and our Mother, to you, who untie with motherly heart the knots of our life, we pray to you to receive in your hands (name of person), and to free him/her of the knots and confusion with which our enemy attacks. Through your grace, your inter-cession, and your example, deliver us from all evil, Our Lady, and untie the knots that prevent us from being tied with God, so that we, free from sin and error, may find Him in all things, may have our hearts placed in Him, and may serve Him always in our brothers and sisters. Amen.


You can find Mary, Untier of Knots, medals, rosary cases, etc. in our gift shop.