Madonna of Montevergine

Background:

The Marian apparition on Montevergine has been celebrated since 1256 as a protector of queer, trans, and other marginalized people. It is an incredibly rare and precious expression of LGBTQ acceptance in Christianity, and specifically of transfeminine identity.

For a thorough introduction to the miracle, the pilgrimage, and the celebration, I recommend this 23-minute English-language documentary.

The abbey of Montevergine, near Naples in Italy, was built in the 1100s on top of the ruins of a temple to Cybele or Magna Mater, an ancient earth goddess who was (and still is) served by transfeminine priestesses called gallae. The local people fully accept that early Christian missionaries identified Cybele with Mary in order to encourage conversion, and they do not see any conflict in it. Whether it's Cybele or Mary, there is a divine presence on Montevergine, and it is a divine presence that loves and protects queer and trans people in particular. According to the legend, in AD 1256, a young queer couple was being persecuted by their community. They were stripped, beaten, and left for dead on top of the hill in the middle of winter. Moved by their plight, the Madonna warmed them with a ray of sunshine, and they survived. The community accepted this as a miracle, and let the young couple return in peace.

Ever since then, the miracle has been commemorated with a grand procession and celebration on Candelora or Candlemass (February 2). Part of this celebration involves the "Juta dei Femminielli," which I have mostly seen translated into English as the "March of the Transsexuals." Femminielli are actually a culturally-specific transfeminine identity that doesn't translate neatly into English, and they are an ancient community of people who pre-date modern notions of gender identity and sexual orientation. Dancing, singing, drumming, and wearing fun costumes, they lead the pilgrimage up the hill to the abbey, where Mass is celebrated and the pilgrims venerate the icon of the Madonna. It has been called "the world's oldest Pride parade."

There is some conflict between the pilgrims and the abbey, but that too seems like part of the performance: almost an acknowledgment of the tension between the pleasant organic weirdness of "folk" Christianity and the dour, patriarchal, no-fun-allowed institutional Church. However, if the abbey really didn't want the pilgrims there, they could have found any number of ways to suppress them over the last 800 years, and the pilgrimage continues with the agreement that they will not disturb the celebration of the Mass. After all, the pilgrims are also devoted Roman Catholics, and they respect the sanctity of the sacraments. It is a celebration of the meeting between the sacred and profane, heaven and earth, masculine and feminine, and it does not appear to be going away any time soon.

Iconography

• The Madonna of Montevergine is considered a Black Madonna, representing the "shadow" side of Mary and the most marginalized people in society.
• The Madonna's hair is bleach-blonde and crimped, which was a style worn by the ancient galla priestesses of Cybele.
• The multicolored ribbons streaming from the Madonna's cloak are used in the song and dance routines of Candelora.
• The young couple have halos in a Pride rainbow spectrum, representing their marginalized gender and sexuality. Traditionally, the couple is said to be two young men, but I made them deliberately androgynous in this icon.
• The Madonna's halo is meant to look like the sun, which warmed the young couple and saved their lives.
• The Madonna wears a heart-shaped brooch with a sword running through it. This is a reference to the Madonna of Sorrows.

Further reading about the Madonna of Montevergine:

https://qspirit.net/madonna-montevergine-lgbtq/

https://uscatholic.org/articles/202311/the-madonna-di-montevergine-mother-of-lgbtq-catholics/

https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2015/femminiello-pride/

https://www.montevergine1256.com/lang/en.html