An object of veneration since 1700The painting Mary Who Unties Knots, an admirably executed work of art, has recently been attributed to Johann Melchior Schmidter of the Augsburg “German Academy.”.This painting, which has hung since 1700 in the church of St. Peter am Perlach in Augsburg, Germany, was inspired by a meditation by St. Irenaeus, who, in the light of the comparison between Adam and Christ, established the comparison between Eve and Mary. : " By her disobedience, Eva tied the knot of unhappiness for humanity;while, on the contrary, by her obedience, Mary untied it…"St. Irenaeus It has been venerated for 300 years in southern Germany and northern Switzerland. A meditation on each symbol of the painting is given in the first part of the novena booklet.Reproductions of the painting in Latin AmericaReproduced in Argentina, the painting Mary Who Unties Knots soon became an object of popular piety.Blessings quickly abounded at Mary Gate of Heaven, and dozens of volunteers were needed to welcome pilgrims from all classes and origins. Today, the novena is known worldwide.Mary Who Unties Knots is at the heart of a significant devotional movement. Over 450,000 copies of the novena have been published thoughout the world, in eight languages This novena, which is said together with the Rosary and its mysteries, is made up of short meditations, one for each day of the novena, and the prayer to Mary Who Unties Knots. The entire novena is published in the booklet.Question : Who can say this novena ? Answer: Anyone with a “knot” in his or her life. These “knots” are problems that we often carry with us for years and for which we can find no solution: knots created by family quarrels, misunderstandings between parents and children, lack of respect, violence; knots of resentment between spouses, lack of peace and joy in families, anxiety, despair of spouses that have separated or divorced; knots produced by the pain of having a drug-addicted child, a sick child, or a child who has run away or distanced him- or herself from God; knots brought about by alcoholism, our own vices or the vices of those we love; knots formed by physical or emotional wounds caused by others, by depression, by painful bitterness, by guilt feelings, by an abortion in our past, by incurable illnesses, by unemployment, indebtedness, failure, stress, fears, solitude, unbelief, pride…Question : Can I say this novena for someone else ? Answer : Yes, as long as the knot that ties up this person also brings suffering to the one saying the novena. In this case, it is suggested to pray the novena for oneself, stating that the other person’s problem is a knot in one’s own life, and asking Mary to untie it.