Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots

Mary, Undoer of Knots: A History of Mercy and Hope

The devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots traces its roots back to the early Church. In the second century, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202) wrote in his treatise Adversus Haereses: “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, the Virgin Mary set free through faith.” This profound insight became the theological seed from which the devotion would later blossom.

Centuries later, in 1615, a nobleman named Wolfgang Langenmantel sought help for his troubled marriage. He turned to Fr Jakob Rem, a Jesuit priest in Ingolstadt, who prayed before an image of Our Lady of the Snows. During prayer, Fr Rem lifted the couple’s wedding ribbon—a symbol of their union—and as he prayed, the knots in the ribbon miraculously loosened, turning pure white. The marriage was reconciled, and this event became a cherished family story.

To commemorate this miracle, Wolfgang’s grandson, Hieronymus Ambrosius Langenmantel (1641–1718), commissioned a painting around 1700 by the artist Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner (1625–1707). The painting, housed in St Peter am Perlach Church in Augsburg, Germany, depicts Mary surrounded by angels, gently untying knots in a long white ribbon, while the Holy Spirit hovers above and the serpent is crushed beneath her feet.

This image became the focal point of devotion, symbolizing Mary’s role in loosening the knots of sin, conflict, and despair in human lives.

For centuries, the devotion remained largely local to Bavaria. But in the 1980s, a young Jesuit studying in Germany—Fr Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later known as Pope Francis—encountered the painting. Deeply moved, he brought postcards of it back to Argentina and began promoting the devotion.

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he encouraged novenas to Mary, Undoer of Knots, and devotion spread rapidly among the faithful.

When Bergoglio was elected Pope in 2013, the devotion gained worldwide recognition. Pope Francis himself remarked: “Through Mary, all the knots of our heart, every knot of our conscience can be undone.” His words gave new life to a centuries-old devotion, reminding the Church that Mary’s maternal intercession is a source of hope and healing.

Today, the devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots is prayed across the globe. It is celebrated locally on September 28, commemorating the 1615 miracle, and universally connected to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

In essence: What began with St. Irenaeus’ vision of Mary as the one who unties Eve’s knot of disobedience, became a lived miracle in 1615, a painting in 1700, and a global devotion in the 20th century. It is a story of faith, reconciliation, and the enduring truth that Mary, with her gentle hands, continues to untie the knots that bind humanity.