Ex-voto

An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or divinity. It is given in fulfilment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for ex voto suscepto, "from the vow made") or in gratitude or devotion. Ex-votos are placed in a church or chapel where the worshipper seeks grace or wishes to give thanks. Shrines decorated with ex-votos are often the destinations of pilgrimages.

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Ex-votos can take a wide variety of forms. In the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde in Marseille, France, the site of a major local pilgrimage, the ex-votos include paintings, plaques, model boats, war medals and even football shirts given by players and supporters of Olympique de Marseille, the local team. In a corner of the basilica of Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal there is a tall wall with thousands of crutches and other supports from those Brother Andr? supposedly healed. Pope John Paul II recognized the authenticity of the miracles and beatified Brother Andr? in 1982.

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Image:Maria-hat-geholfen-himmerod.jpg|Votive tablets to Saint Mary in Himmerod Abbey, Germany

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Image:Jasna G?ra Wota 1.JPG|Ex-votos in the Lady Chapel of Jasna G?ra, Cz?stochowa

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Image:Jasna G?ra Wota 2.JPG|Ex-votos in the Lady Chapel of Jasna G?ra, Cz?stochowa

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Saint: In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. It can be applied to both the living and the dead and is an acceptable term in most of the world's popular religions. The Saint is held up by the community as an example of how we all should act, and his or her life...

Latin: Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. It gained great importance as the formal language of the Roman Empire. All Romance languages are descended from Latin, and many words based on Latin are found in other modern languages such as English. The ...

Church: :This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. For other uses of the word, see Church (disambiguation)....

Ex-voto related Images and Photos (experimental)

The Ex Voto 1898	Ex-Mrs. Bradford, The (DVD)	The Ex	The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
Appleseed Ex Machina (BD)	Appleseed Ex Machina (DVD)	The Ex - Unique Pen Holder	Appleseed Ex Machina (DVD) (Limited Edition)
Aquapolis Ex-Machina Right	The Ex - Unique Knife Holder	SIF EX Needless Eve Statue	Low Millions: Ex-Girlfriends