Šaštín

ŠAŠTIN. – Slovak national shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The town of S. lies in the western part of Slovakia, north of Bratislava, not far from the Morava River and the Austrian frontier. In 1564, devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows began there in the small votive church. The present grandiose shrine dates from 1760–70; it was built in the Baroque style, with an adjoining convent of the Paulines, now occupied by the Salesians. On the high altar stands the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, a work of folk art; the image is greatly venerated throughout Slovakia. S. is a destination for pilgrimages throughout the year, especially on 15 September, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the national patroness.