My Religious Experience: 2011

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Sto. Cristo Del Perdon

On November 23, 1954, a new decree of the Crusade was issued-from Crusade of Charity and Goodwill, it was renamed to Crusade of Penance and Charity. The image of the Santo Cristo del Perdon was added to accompany the procession to inspire repentance of sins and renewal of life among the people. Seven Caballeros de Cristo were appointed. Processions of the Crusade were accompanied by seven symbolical lanterns. The Caballeros de Cristo took turns in carrying the image of the Crucified Christ. Number seven was again chosen by the Bishop to signify the seven Archangels who adore the Triune God.

Virhen de los Remedios

The Virgin of Los Remedios (Spanish: La Virgen de los Remedios) or Our Lady of Los Remedios (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de los Remedios) is a small statue of the Virgin Mary, believed to have been brought to Mexico by the conquistadores. She is a small image of the Virgin Mary, measuring 27 cm in height. This image is strongly linked with the Spanish Conquest, especially the episode known as the “Noche Triste” or Sad Night. It is said Cortés led his men to an indigenous religious sanctuary to escape the Aztecs, stopping here on their way to Otumba. According to legend, one of Cortés’ soldiers, Gonzalo Rodríguez de Villafuerte, was carrying a small image of the Virgin Mary and hid her under one of the maguey plants in order to retrieve and pay homage to her later if he survived. During a later battle in this area, the Spanish reported seeing a young girl throwing dirt into the eyes of the Aztecs to help the Spanish. Another legend states that this image appeared at the Cerro de los Pajaros, where a chapel was built in 1574, which later was expanded in 1628 with a vaulted roof and cupola. Being connected with the Conquest, this image of the Virgin is considered to be “Spanish” and a patroness to them and to the indigenous who adopt Spanish ways. She is considered one of the Virgins who correlate with the four cardinal directions (in her case, the west), along with the Virgins of Guadalupe, of la Piedad and de la Bala.
Despite her importance to the area, this image was kept at the Mexico City Cathedral until 1810. In that year, it was moved to her sanctuary in Naucalpan, dressed as a general. It was proclaimed as a patroness of Spain and the “guardian of the Spanish Army.” The purpose of this was to counter Miguel Hidalgo’s use of the Virgin of Guadalupe as a symbol of his independence movement.
This image was center of one of the first annual processions to be held in Mexico, which went from the Church of Santa Veracruz in Mexico City to her home sanctuary in Los Remedios National Park. It's feast day is still celebrated on September 1, On this day, the sanctuary is profusely decorated with white flowers, which includes a carpet of flower petals in the San Miguel Arcangel esplanade. This sanctuary is not located in the city proper, but in the mountainous western part of the municipality where the Los Remedios National Park stands. Her feast day is celebrated with dances knowns as “Los Apaches,” “Los Moros,” “Chichimecas” and “Pastorcitas,” with 450th anniversary of her finding celebrated in 1990.

Philippine Tradition

Pampanga was a hotbed of socialism and Huk insurgency in the 50s. So, to temper these 'godless ideologies', Bishop Cesar Ma. Guerrero of the new Diocese of San Fernando launched the Cruzada ning Pamanisi at Lugud (Crusade of Penance and Charity) .

“Aqui en Pampanga hay mucha piedad, pero poca caridad! (Here in Pampanga, there is much piety but little charity!)” the Bishop noted.The symbol of the crusade revolved around a small image of a Virgin from Baliti; she was borrowed and titled Virgen de los Remedios. Thus, the tradition of religious processions and acts of charity (lamac) began. Virgen de los Remedios made the rounds of Pampanga towns for a full year, and the towns took turns hosting the image. The devotion touched lives, healed wounds, converted people and helped stem the tide of Communism.

In the next year of the Cruzada however, the people of Baliti, due to some misinformation, refused to loan out their Virgin, to the disappointment of the Bishop. Emotions ran high in Baliti, with threats that "blood will flow" if the Virgin is taken forcibly from them. Bishop Guerrero thus had a second image made, a taller version of the original Baliti Virgin--and this was the image that was canonically crowned in 1956. Eventually, two more replicas were made of the image, for use in the northern and southern Pampanga towns. The 'Coronada' Virgin now remains in the Chancery, while the Baliti Virgin has its own shrine. At one point, Baliti had to suffer the stigma of being a town of selfish and possessive people, and as a result, the crowned duplicate at the Chancery is looked at and recognized as the real Patroness of Pampanga.

Immaculate Heart of Mary

The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is related to the festival of the previous day, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As we celebrate the love of God in the heart of his Son, Jesus, we celebrate today the perfect response of a human being to this love, the response of Mary.

In the Catholic understanding, Mary represents the most complete response of a human being to the Creator. This is summed up in her words to the angel Gabriel, “I am the Lord’s handmaid. May it be done to me as he wishes.” In other words, Mary’s attitude is obedience, surrender of her will to God’s.

Another aspect of Mary’s character is the attribute “immaculate” — without stain of sin. The word ‘immaculate’ usually connotes purity, virginity, a chaste and complete dedication, an undivided heart – a heart not distracted by earthly temptations.

That’s what Mary was – completely dedicated and focused on the Lord.

When we contemplate the life of Mary as told us in the Gospels, we are astonished at how closely she related to the mission of her son, Jesus, even though at many times it was not be entirely clear to her what it was. This is why Luke writes of her, “Mary stored all these things up in her heart, and pondered over what they might mean.”

From the moment she committed herself to the Lord’s plans for her at the Annunciation, to her final steadfastness under the cross at Calvary, she did not waver a bit from her commitment. Her heart remained ‘immaculate,’ freed from any distraction to disobedience, denial or waywardness. Our hearts, our desires tend to run away so easily. Not Mary’s, never Mary’s.

If the feast of the Sacred Heart celebrates God’s total love for us, its complementary feast, that of the Immaculate Heart tells us what our response to God’s love should be!

Inang Poong Bato

Our Lady of Ina Poonbato (Botolan, Zambala, Philippines) became popular after the explosion of Mt.Pinatubo in June 1991 when it was half buried in lava. The image of Ina Poonbato is said to be of miraculous character.

The statue was found by the Aeta chief Djadig over four hundred years ago. He brought the beautiful lady carved in shining wood to this home. His wife threw the statue--without recognizing its meaning--into the fire. The fire burned the house down but left the statue unscathed. It soon became an object of veneration among the Aetas. The first missionaries to the Zambalas region (1608, Recoletos) recognized the statue as that of Our Lady and transferred it to their church. During the Philippine revolution, patriots-rebels took the image to their church, the Philippine Independent Church. A replica, made by Maximo Vicente, sculptor, in 1976, became a traveling Madonna. Beginning in 1981 the Ina Poonbato has been to nearly all dioceses in the Philippines. In Rome, it was blessed by John Paul II.

Two things may be remembered especially. When Djadig discovered the "lady carved in shining wood," he heard a voice telling him, "Djadig, Djadig, take me home with you." The call of Mary goes to the heart of all of us: "Take me home with you." The Recoleto missionaries first thought they had to deal with anito worship. But when they saw the image, they knew better. They were convinced, "She must have paved the way for our coming."

For more information call 63-917-621-2332 or write to Rosellyn Magsaysay, Ina Poonbato Foundation, 33 Marikit Street, West Triangle Homes, QC, Philippines.

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene is referred to as "the apostle to the apostles" from the 10th century. From the 12th century Abbot Hugh of Semur (died 1109), Peter Abelard (died 1142), and Geoffrey of Vendome (died 1132) all referred to Mary Magdalene as the sinner who merited the title apostolarum apostola, with the title becoming commonplace during the 12th and 13th centuries. Bart D. Ehrman referred to a work by an early anonymous Christian writer (perhaps Hippolytus, a Christian leader in Rome around 200 AD) who in a commentary on the Old Testament book Song of Songs, wrote that Jesus first appeared to the women at the tomb. He instructed them to go and tell his disciples that he was risen from the dead. Then he appeared to his disciples and "upbraided them for not believing the women's report," referring to the women as apostles. Ehrman quotes the writer: "Christ showed himself to the (male) apostles and said to them, 'It is I who appeared to these women and I who wanted to send them to you as apostles.'" Ehrman concludes from this that Mary and the others could therefore be thought of as "apostles sent to the apostles," a title that Mary Magdalene herself came to bear in the Middle Ages (Latin: apostola apostolorum). Erhman further cites Mark 16:8 and Matthew 28:11 as evidence for his proposition. Darrell Bock also takes the view that Mary Magdalene was not singled out, but was part of a group of women who shared the honour, that for Hippolytus "she was one of a few apostles", stating the term did not originate with Hippolytus. According to Harvard theologian Karen King, Mary Magdalene was a prominent disciple and leader of one wing of the early Christian movement that promoted women's leadership. King cites references in the Gospel of John that the risen Jesus gives Mary special teaching and commissions her as an "Apostle to the Apostles." Mary is the first to announce the resurrection and to fulfill the role of an Apostle─someone sent by Jesus with a special message or commission, to spread the gospel ("good news") and to lead the early church. The first message she was given was to announce to Peter and the others that "He is risen!"(Mt. 28:7 Mk. 16:9-11 Lk. 24:10 Jn. 20:2) Although the term is not specifically used of her in the New Testament, Eastern Christianity refers to her as "Equal to the Apostles"), and later traditions name her as "the apostle to the apostles." King writes that the strength of this literary tradition makes it possible to suggest that historically Mary was a prophetic visionary and leader within one sector of the early Christian movement after the death of Jesus. Asbury Theological Seminary Bible scholar Ben Witherington III confirms the New Testament account of Mary Magdalene as historical: "Mary was an important early disciple and witness for Jesus." He continues, "There is absolutely no early historical evidence that Mary's relationship with Jesus was anything other than that of a disciple to her Master teacher." In his apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem ("On the dignity and vocation of women", part 67-69) dated 15 August 1988, Pope John Paul II dealt with the Easter events in relation to the women being present at the tomb after the Resurrection, in a section entitled 'First Witness of the Resurrection': "The women are the first at the tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear "He is not here. He has risen, as he said." (Mt 28:6). They are the first to embrace his feet (cf. Mt 28:9), They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles (cf. Mt 28:1-10, Lk 24:8-11). The Gospel of John (cf. also Mk 16:9) emphasizes the special role of Mary Magdalene. She is the first to meet the Risen Christ. [...] Hence she came to be called "the apostle of the Apostles". Mary Magdalene was the first eyewitness of the Risen Christ, and for this reason she was also the first to bear witness to him before the Apostles. This event, in a sense, crowns all that has been said previously about Christ entrusting divine truths to women as well as men." On 23 July 2006 Pope Benedict XVI spoke about Mary Magdalene in his address before the Angelus, referring to her as "a disciple of the Lord who plays a lead role in the Gospels." "The story of Mary of Magdala reminds us all of a fundamental truth," Pope Benedict said. "A disciple of Christ is one who, in the experience of human weakness, has had the humility to ask for his help, has been healed by him and has set out following closely after him, becoming a witness of the power of his merciful love that is stronger than sin and death."

Immaculate Conception

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates belief in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is celebrated on 8 December, nine months before the Nativity of Mary, which is celebrated on 8 September. It is the patronal feast day of the United States and the Republic of the Philippines. It is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church as well as a few other closely related Christian churches.

The Eastern Christian Church first celebrated a feast of the Conception of the Most Holy and All Pure Mother of God on December 9 perhaps as early as the 5th century in Syria. By the 7th century it was already a widely known feast in the East. In the same century the idea of Mary's spotlessness was adopted by Islam and is included in the Qur'an. However, when the Eastern Church called Mary achrantos (spotless or immaculate), it did not define exactly what this meant. Today the majority of Orthodox Christians would not accept the Scholastic definition of Mary's preservation from original sin before her birth that subsequently evolved in the Western Church after the Great Schism of 1054. After the feast was translated to the Western Church in the eighth century, it began to be celebrated on December 8th. It spread from the Byzantine area of Southern Italy to Normandy during the period of Norman dominance over southern Italy. From there it spread into England, France, Germany, and eventually Rome.
Prior to Pope Pius IX's definition of the Immaculate Conception as a Roman Catholic dogma in 1854, most missals referred to it as the Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The festal texts of this period focused more on the action of her conception than on the theological question of her preservation from original sin. A missal published in England in 1806 indicates the same collect for the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was used for this feast as well.

The first move towards describing Mary's conception as "immaculate" came in the eleventh century. In the fifteenth century Pope Sixtus IV, while promoting the festival, explicitly tolerated those who promoted it as the Immaculate Conception and those who challenged such a description, a position later endorsed by the Council of Trent.
The proper for the feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Medieval Sarum Missal, perhaps the most famous in England, merely addresses the action of her conception.
The collect for the feast reads:
O God, mercifully hear the supplication of thy servants who are assembled together on the Conception of the Virgin Mother of God, may at her intercession be delivered by Thee from dangers which beset us.
In 1854, Pius IX made the infallible statement Ineffabilis Deus: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin."

Virgen de Barangay

VIRGEN DE BARANGAY, Feastday March 1

A barangay is the smallest local government unit in the Philippines and is very similar to a village or a town. Municipalities and cities are composed of barangays.
Each barangay is headed by a barangay captain (punong barangay) who leads the barangay council (sangguniang barangay) composed of barangay councilors (kagawad). Every barangay also has a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) (Youth council), composed of the SK President or Chairman and SK Councilors, who direct the youth-oriented activities, such as basketball leagues, in the barangay.

Historically, the term barangay refers to a community of around 50 to 100 families. The word itself comes from the Malay balangay which means “boat.” This connection between community and boat supports theories on the history of the pre-colonial Philippines, that being, each original coastal “barangay” formed as a result of a single or a group of settlers arriving by boat from other places in Southeast Asia.

In 1954, Antonio Gaston had a word with Bishop Manuel Yap about the idea of giving the patroness of the Barangay sang Birhen Organization a purely Filipino look. Bishop Yap approved the idea, but suggested that the image, however, should give an impression of Jewishness.

Getting such ikon painted proved to be a problem. Initial efforts of artists from the Salesian order, as well as by graduates from prestigious art schools are not completely satisfactory. Several months later, Father Pixner sent
Gaston a painting done by Crisogono Domingo, an inmate of Santa Barbara Leprosarium, not on a canvass but on a lawanit board. One look at the painting and Gaston knew the Barangay had a true picture of its patroness. The ikon of the Virgin of the Barangay likewise gained enthusiastic approval of Bishop Manuel Yap, and was canonically blessed and installed in the diocese by October 16, 1954.

June 12, 1975, the original painting of the image of the Barangay sang Birhen arrived in the Diocese of Tagbilaran for her visitation; she was brought by the Regional Datu of Davao, Lakan Olibo and his companions. Her visitation from Parish to Parish, to the remotest Barrios or Barangay, lasted for almost 6 years and 15 days. The Last Parish visited was Sikatuna. From Sikatuna, she was brought to Ilihan Hill Chapel in Jagna, Bohol starting February 3, 1979 up to January 12, 1981.

On January 14, 1981, the original painting was brought back to Bacolod City for the historical visit of the Holy Father where the image of the Virgin was personally blessed by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II on February 20, 1981, Bishop’s Palace, Bacolod City

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary after she appeared before St. Catherine, revealing the image of the medal she wanted to be made.
Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Laboure many times but the major apparition happened at the Motherhouse Chapel in Paris, standing atop the world surrounded by an oval frame, over which gold engravings were written: O Mary Conceived without Sin, Pray for Us who have Recourse to You revealing to her the image of the medal she wanted to be made. Catherine told Fr. Aladel about the Virgin's message. Couple of years after the medal was finally acknowledged by the Archbishop of Paris and Catholic officials in 1832. Catherine was declared Saint by Pope Pius XII in July 1947.
These were the words Mary conveyed to St. Catherine:

“Have a Medal struck according to this model. All those who wear it with faith and confidence will receive abundant graces.”

In accordance to the message of Mary, the Miraculous Medal should be worn closest to the heart to bring healing and protection to its holder. The medal ranks equal in importance with the holy Rosary and the Brown Scapular.
Alphonse Ratisbonne, Jewish national, who was converted to Christianity after Mary appeared before him, exactly the same way she appears on the Miraculous Medal. He immediately joined the Jesuit Fathers.
Domingo G. Vargas made a book on the miracles of the Medal that happened in the Philippines entitled The Miraculous Medal Apostolate in the Philippines: Touching our Lives. One story is that of Fr. Jesus Maria Cavanna who made a frequent visits to seriously ill persons in private and public institutions. Some of the patients are Protestants, heretics, unbelievers and those opposing the Catholic faith. After praying and asking for Mary's intercession and coming back to the patient's bedside, Fr. Cavanna was delighted by their decisions to accept the Medal and embrace the faith.
Vargas also wrote about the miraculous recovery of those who have fatal illness, diseases, and heart ailments.
Mrs. Cosette Reyes, a counselor and a catechist had personal accounts on her experience since the Shrine was built. The church caters for both rich and poor people which practices responsible charity. It imparts that trusting Mary's word on the Medal will help the people gain access to God.

Mary Help of Christians

Mary Help of Christians (Latin: Sancta Maria Auxilium Christianorum), is a Roman Catholic Marian devotion with a feast day celebrated on May 24. John Chrysostom was the first person to use this title in 345 as a devotion to the Virgin Mary.
The devotion became popular in Europe during the pontificate of Pope Pius V and the fights against the Ottoman Empire. It was definitely established due to the great appreciation of Don Bosco for this Marian title and the development of the Salesian works in several countries since the second half of the 19th century. Although it is commonly associated with the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church has also known the devotion since 1030 in Ukraine, when the country was defended from a barbarian invasion.
The title of Mary Help of Christians is associated with the defense of Christian Europe (Latin and Greek), the north of Africa and the Middle East from non-Christian peoples during the Middle Age. In 1572, the Islamic Ottoman Empire intended to invade Christian Europe. Pope Pius V called Christian armies from all over Europe to defend the continent and asked the believers to pray to Mary in order to help the Christians. The defeat of the Muslim Turks was attributed to the intercession of Mary under this title.
Around 1576, Bernardino Cirillo, archpriest of Loreto, published at Macerata two litanies of the Blessed Virgin, which, he contended, were used at Loreto. One is in a form which is entirely different from our present text. Another form ("Aliae litaniae B.M.V.") is identical to the litany of Loreto approved by Pope Clement VIII in 1601 and now used throughout the entire Church. This second form contains the invocation Auxilium Christianorum. Possibly the warriors, who returning from the Battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571) visited the sanctuary of Loreto, saluted the Holy Virgin there for the first time with this new title. It is more probable, however, that it is only a variation of the older invocation Advocata Christianorum, found in a litany of 1524.
Torsellini (1597) and the Roman Breviary (May 24, Appendix) say that Pope Pius V inserted the invocation in the litany of Loreto after the battle of Lepanto. But the form of the litany in which it is first found was unknown at Rome at the time of Pius V.
The feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, was instituted by Pope Pius VII. By order of Napoleon I of France, Pius VII was arrested on June 5, 1808, and detained a prisoner for three years at Savona, and then at Fontainebleau. In January 1814, after the battle of Leipzig, he was brought back to Savona and set free on March 17, on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, the Patroness of Savona. The journey to Rome was a veritable triumphal march. The pontiff, attributing the victory of the Church after so much agony and distress to the Blessed Virgin, visited many of her sanctuaries on the way and crowned her images (e.g., the "Madonna del Monte" at Cesena, "della Misericordia" at Treja, "della Colonne" and "della Tempestà" at Tolentino). The people crowded the streets to catch a glimpse of the venerable pontiff who had so bravely withstood the threats of Napoleon. He entered Rome on May 24, 1814, and was enthusiastically welcomed.
After the Congress of Vienna and the battle of Waterloo, the Pope returned to Rome on July 7, 1815. To gave thanks to God and Our Lady, on 15 September 1815 he declared 24 May, the anniversary of his first return, to be henceforth the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians; the 1913 Catholic Encyclopaedia article commented that it has spread nearly over the entire Latin Church, but is not contained in the universal calendar.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Nuestra Senora de la Admirabilis

The title "Mater Ter Admirabilis" (Mother thrice blessed) is first of all the name given to the miraculous image of Our Lady at Ingolstadt, Germany. Fr. James Rem, Jesuit, (1546-1618) saw in the advocation "Mater admirabilis" in the Litany of Loreto something like a summary of all of Mary's privileges and of her whole being. He reached this conviction during a mystical experience while the students of the Colloquium Marianum (Marian congregation) were singing the Litanies of Loreto. He had them repeat the advocation "Mater admirabilis" three times in the form of a "trisagion" (each time with greater emphasis). A custom developed, and the image of mother and child in the school chapel was named "thrice blessed or wonderful" (ter admirabilis). The meaning or explanation of the title given by Fr. Rem is not known. Subsequent commentators, like F. Hattler, saw in the threefold invocation a reference to Mary as Mother of God, Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed.
This title was adopted in 1915 by future members of the Schoenstatt Movement and serves as name and customary advocation of the Schoenstatt Madonna. She is venerated as "Mother thrice admirable, Queen and victrix of Schoenstatt." The meaning of the title is multi-valent: Mother of God, Mother of Christ, Mother of all human beings; she is admirable in faith, hope and charity; she was virgin before, in and after the birth of Christ; Child of the Father, Mother of the Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, etc. The title has idiomatic meaning, expressing the unique character of Mary according to the words used by Anselm of Canterbury: "admirably unique and uniquely admirable." (Oratio 52, PL 158, 955) Maybe the best way to explain "thrice admirable" is to say that Mary escapes human understanding and explanation.

Nuestra Senora de Paradiso

Nuestra Senora dela Merced

Our Lady of Ransom or Our Lady of Mercy

While in Europe, one can be assured that I popped in to every shop in which there was a monstrance in the window. I confess it's been my ambition to one day buy, make, design, or somehow or other procure a monstrance and then donate it to a church. Thus while in Assisi (where I bought a most gorgeous pyx), I'm sure the Franciscans loved me. In and out I went.

One shop, however, was a bit pricey for me (actually, most of them were), yet it didn't stop me from spending 15 Euro on holy cards! There were too many cool ones with lovely sweet Victorian images like this one of St. Rose of Lima. Among the holy cards I couldn't turn down was a Marian image with which I was not familiar. The title at the bottom proclaimed it "Nuestra Senora de la Merced" -- Our Lady of Mercy. In one hand she held a sceptre with chains attached to it, and in her other a white scapular. She was crowned and wore a religious habit -- something like the Dominican habit with a shield on the scapular and a carmelite cappa. Under her feet was the moon and at her feet knelt a king and a knight.

Well, naturally this appealed to me very much. But I had totally forgotten about it until I opened my Missal yesterday and these cards, carelessly shoved between the pages, fell out (I must have been in a hurry -- I am too prone to putting Important Things between the pages of books and then shelving those books).

Sifting through them again I once again saw Our Lady of Mercy, and decided to figure out what she was all about. This is what I found:

Tradition has it that around 1218, St. Peter Nolasco and James I, King of Aragon and Catalonia, experienced separately a vision of the Most Holy Virgin who asked them to found a religious order dedicated to rescuing the many Christian captives held by the Moslems. This Order of Our Lady of Mercy, also known as Our Lady of Ramson, approved as a military order in 1235 by Pope Gregory IX, was able to liberate thousands of Christian prisoners, and later became dedicated to teaching and social work...

In 1730 she was proclaimed "Patroness of the Peruvian Lands" and in 1823 "Patroness of the Armies of the Republic." On the first centennial of the nation's independence, the image was solemnly crowned and received the title of "Grand Marshall of Peru" on September 24, 1921, Feast of Our Lady of Mercy, since then declared a national holiday, when every year the army renders homage to her high military rank.

The image carries numerous decorations granted by the Republic of Peru, its governors and national institutions. In 1970 the town council of Lima gave her the keys of the city, and in 1971 the president of the Republic conferred on her the Great Peruvian Cross of Naval Merit, gestures which evidence the affection and devotion of Peru to Our Lady of Mercy, that many consider their national patroness.

Nuestra Senora de la Caridad del Cobre

At the beginning of 17th century, two native Indians, Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos, together with a ten year old slave boy, Juan Moreno, went out looking for the salt needed to preserve the meat of the Barajagua slaughter house, which supplied the workers and inhabitants of "Santiago del Prado", now known as "El Cobre." That day they were just able to reach Cayo Francés, halfway across the Bay of Nipe, where they encamped to escape the fury of a storm which would have torn their frail canoe to pieces.

Calm was restored with daybreak, and they took to the transparent sea. In the distance, they saw a white bundle floating on the waves and approaching them slowly. At first they took it for a sea bird. As it came closer, it seemed to be a girl and at last they were able to determine that it was a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the child on her right arm and with a gold cross in her left hand. The statue was fastened to a board with the inscription, "I am the Virgin of Charity."

According to the sworn testimony of witnesses, despite the recent storm and the motion of the waves, neither the figure of the Virgin, nor her clothing, were wet.

The head of the statue is of baked clay covered with a polished coat of fine white powder, possibly rice paste, and the recent thorough renovation of the image revealed the fine features which countless paint coatings had deformed. A well shaped nose and a well-proportioned face with large, loving eyes convey a gentleness that invites trust and prayer. The Virgin is about 16 inches high and her feet rest on a brilliant moon whose ends surround on both sides the silver cloud where three cherubs spread their golden wings. The Child, at the left side of the statue, raises a hand as if blessing, and in his other hand he holds a gold globe. The entire figure is covered by a heavy cloak which gives it the typical triangular shape.

The image's original clothing was white, but the faithful have given her gold and silver colored robes. Because Our Lady of Charity is a symbol of Cuban nationality, popular statues give her a white robe, a blue cloak and have the Child dressed in red: the colors of the Cuban flag. Nowadays the Virgin's dress, a copy of a very early one, is of heavy lamé with gold threads, and has the national Cuban shield embroidered on the skirt.

The simple folk have gotten used to the image of their "Cachita" with the small boat at her feet and in it the "Three Juans" who found her floating on the water. This detail is omitted in the oldest reproductions which copied the original statue.

At the request of the veterans of the War of Independence, Our Lady of Charity was declared the patroness of Cuba by Benedict XV in 1916 and solemnly crowned in the Eucharistic Congress held in Santiago de Cuba in 1936. Pope Paul VI raised her sanctuary to the category of Basilica in 1977.

A richly-detailed bronze medal, illustrating Our Lady's appearance to the three young boys in their boat, is accompanied by gifts from the sea: the Aves are luscious 12mm copper pearls (Cobre means "copper", which was once mined near the boys' village in Cuba, many years ago). The bronze-capped 1.25" Pater of handmade lampwork evokes the vivid beauty of tropical reefs which flourish below the waters that brought Our Lady to the young fishermen.

Mother of Good Counsel

The picture of Our Mother of Good Counsel is familiar to all who frequent the churches of the Augustinian friars. With them and their people it has been a place of special honor. The original, the miraculous picture, has been in the reverent keeping of the members of the Order of Saint Augustine for over four hundred years. The church that enshrines the orginal fresco of Our Mother of Good Counsel is located in the small town of Genazzano, Italy.

Legend has it that this church stood unfinished and roofless when, on 25 April 1467, the image of the Madonna was miraculously transported there from its former home in Scutari, Albania. Coming to rest precariously on a narrow stone ledge in the wall inside the church, the legend continues, the picture has remained in that position to the present day.

The name, however, is much older than the picture. "Saint Mary of Good Counsel" was the name given to a beautiful little church erected in the fifth century on the ruins of a temple of Venus in ancient Latium. But time took its toll on the church. It was almost a ruin in 1356, when the Augustinian friars were charged with its care and restoration. The task might have been hopeless if Mary herself had not come with her heavenly image in 1467. She seemed determined to confirm and perpetuate her favorite title, "Mother of Good Counsel."

Careful investigations undertaken between 1957 and 1959 for the purpose of restoration have revealed something of the true origin of the fresco. The image of the Madonna about 12 inches wide and 17 inches high that the viewer sees encased in an elaborate glass, metal, and marble framework is part of a larger fresco that once covered a portion of the wall now hidden by the baroque shrine altar. Art experts consulted during the restoration suggest that the fresco, including the image of the Madonna, is the work of the early fifteenth century artist Gentil da Fariano. He probably painted his fresco on the wall around the time of Martin V (1417-1431). At some subsequent date before 1467, the fresco, so it is surmised on the basis of the evidence, was covered over with plaster, and on the wall was hung a terracotta image of the Madonna which was known at Our Mother of Good Counsel.

In 1467 the Augustinian friars began rebuilding the church on the site, enclosing within the structure the wall on which the then covered frecso was painted. At that point the image of the Madonna appeared and was taken to be a token of divine favor. The unexpected appearance was perhaps brought about in this way: when the stone ledge was being inserted into the wall, the plaster covering cracked and separated from the wall, revealing the fresco beneath. The image was initially hailed as the Madonna of Paradise, an allusion to its apparently heavenly origin, but soon it came to be known by the former title of the shrine, Madonna of Good Counsel.

The unfinished church was completed soon after this occurrence and became the center of continuous pilgrimage. A place was also built for the Augustinian friars, who to this day still minister to the spiritual wants of the thousands that come to venerate the picture of the Mother of Good Counsel. The story of the picture spread far and wide; many came to pray at this shrine. The numerous cures recorded as having occurred since then have caused the picture of the Madonna to be called miraculous.

One striking aspect of the fesco, which has lent a certain credence to the legends surrounding it, is that the upper portion of the image is separated from the wall so that much of the fresco is just a thin sheet of plaster.Yet the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel has survived for centuries in this precarious state, through rebuilding of the main walls of the church, through a number of earthquakes, and even through the ariel bombardment of Genazzanno during World War II. Because of this condition, the restoration undertaken in 1957 was a delicate task.

There arose a legend that the picture had come from Albania, many miles across the Adriatic Sea. Among the first pilgrims who came to Genazzano were two men with a very remarkable story to tell. While praying at a shrine of Our Lady in the Albanian town of Scutari they saw the picture which they were venerating remove itself from the wall of the church. They watched in amazement at it rose into the air. High in the sky in was wrapped in a cloud and vanished from their sight in the direction of the Adriatic and Italy.

They tried to follow the image. They searched everywhere for it, in all the famous shrines and churches of Rome and other cities. Finally they heard rumors of a new picture at Genazzano. They hurried there and at last found the object of their quest, their own beloved holy picture. At Scutari it had been loved and revered for many centuries; then the ardor of the people toward it had cooled.

In their very early endeavors the good friars were ably assisted in their afforts by the gracious aid of a holy widow, Petruccia di Noccera. Since her husband's death, this saintly woman, a tertiary of the Order of Saint Augustine, had devoted herself to the service of the little church, and great was her distress over the neglected condition in which the sanctuary of Our Mother of Good Counsel was permitted to remain. To restore it was the ambition of her life, and so strongly was she drawn to the undertaking that she felt inspired to sacrifice her home and moderate income to further this cause. While others might have felt daunted, Petruccia never once faltered in her hopes. She constantly reiterated her assurance that the work would be completed because Almighty God, through the intercession of Saint Augustine and the Blessed Virgin, would see fit to crown her feeble efforts with unforseen success.

Petruccia, having lived to see her fondest hopes abundantly realized, died in 1470, honored by all. The Augustinians who owed so much to this good tertiary laid her body to rest at the feet of the beloved Madonna, with an inscription above which told of her share in the great work accomplished by God at Genazzano.

Our Mother of Good Counsel has been called the Madonna of the popes. In truth, since the arrival of the picture, there is scarcely a pope who has not in some way shown great devotion to her. The initial approval of the devotion to Our Mother of Good Counsel was given by Pope Paul II. In 1753 Pope Benedict XIV established the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel, a spiritual society to which many indulgences were attached. Pope Pius IX had a personal devotion to Our Mother of Good Counsel; he made a pilgrimage to Genazzano in 1864.

More than any other pope, Pope Leo XIII, himself a member of the Pious Union, was deeply attached to this devotion, which had associations with his childhood in Carpinet, a town not far from Genazzano. He instituted the white scapluar of Good Counsel, inserted the title of Mother of Good Counsel into the Litany of Loreto, declared the shrine a minor basilica, and installed a copy of the imatge over the altar in the Pauline chapel in the Vatican. It was he who coined the phrase: "Children, follow her counsels." Pope Pius XII dedicated his reign to Our Mother of Good Counsel, and Pope John XXIII made a visit to her shrine in 1959.

The Augustinians have been at all times the outstanding promoters of the devotion to Our Mother of Good Counsel. Within the last century there have been two holy men of the Order who were particularly notable for their zeal in spreading this devotion. Blessed Stephen Bellesini was pastor at the shrine and is buried in a side chapel of the church, and Venerable Joseph Menochio was papal sacristan to Pope Pius VII.

Thus, for five hundred years, the devotion to Our Mother of Good Counsel has flourished and grown. Great artists have fashioned rich copies of the Madonna in canvas, stone, and mosaic. One will find the picture of Our Mother of Good Counsel in beautiful shrines and in great cathedrals and churches. Missionaries have carried it to the ends of the earth, and it has found its way into the humblest of homes throughout the world.

The feast of Our Mother of Good Counsel is celebrated by the Augustinian Family on 26 April.

Virgen de la Paloma

The Virgen de la Paloma Fiesta, Madrid is celebrated at the Plaza de las Vistillas in Old Madrid. The jubilation of Paloma Fiesta had begun in the 18th century and is still widely celebrated across the Plaza de las Vistillas. It is renowned as the city's best-known and greatest event or festival.
The Virgen de la Paloma Fiesta follows immediately after the San Cayetano and San Lorenzo Fiestas. The festival originally begins on the 11th of August and reaches its climax on the 15th of August every year. The 15th August is considered a Spanish national holiday in Madrid. On this day the firemen of the city council parades through the streets of Madrid carrying with them a statue of the Virgin of Doves. People can participate in this majestic celebration free of cost and feel the beauty of the same. Street parties, open-air dances, processions and popular celebrations overwhelm the streets of Old Madrid during the first half of August because of these series of Fiestas.
It is amazing to see the decoration of the streets with colored lamps. Color seems to be in the air with all Madrileños dressed up in their traditional Chulapo costumes for the auspicious social function. Women deck up in their Mantón de Manila shawls. The crowd dances their traditional dance known as the chotis in the open-air.
A Madrilenian named Isabel Tintero had found the linen cloth that symbolises the picture of the Virgin of the Dove in the 18th century. He made the picture apparent in his own house in the beginning. Later the devotion of the people became the cause of a new temple that was built in 1912. Since the 18th century this festival has become a part of the lives of people of Madrilenians.