Queen and Patroness of Colombia
Feast: July 9
Origin of the Image (16th century)
In the year of Our Lord 1560, a devout Spanish noblewoman named Doña Maria Ramos, moved by a desire to restore Catholic devotion among the settlers and natives in the New World, came to the town of Chiquinquirá, in what is today Colombia. At the time, the faith was waning, the chapel was abandoned, and sacrilege was common. Yet, this pious widow sought to rekindle devotion to Our Lady by restoring a neglected image of the Blessed Virgin.
The original painting had been commissioned in 1560 by a Dominican friar, Fray Andrés Jadraque, and painted by the Spanish artist Alonso de Narváez. The artist, filled with devotion, depicted the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven, clothed in radiant garments, with the Divine Infant Jesus on her left arm. To her right stood St. Anthony of Padua, and to her left, St. Andrew the Apostle. The image was painted in tempera on a rustic piece of cotton cloth woven by the native peoples and stretched over a wooden panel.
With the passing years, the image suffered great neglect. Exposed to sunlight, dust, and rain, the colors faded, the cloth tore, and the holy image became nearly invisible. It was discarded in a corner of a neglected chapel.
Miraculous Restoration (December 26, 1586)
In 1586, Doña Maria Ramos, in a spirit of reverence and sorrow, rescued the ruined image and placed it in a small oratory. She would kneel before it daily, praying her Rosary and invoking Our Lady’s intercession.
Then, on December 26, 1586, while praying with others in the chapel, Doña Maria witnessed a divine marvel: the image was miraculously restored before her eyes. The cloth became whole, the colors vivid, and the holy figures clear and majestic. A bright light illumined the image, and celestial music was heard by those present.
Word of the miracle spread quickly. Pilgrims began to arrive from every corner of the New Kingdom of Granada. Miraculous cures, conversions, and favors were attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá.
Canonical Recognition and Patronage
The Dominican Order took guardianship of the holy image, which was enshrined in a new church built to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. The Church investigated and approved the miraculous restoration, and devotion to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá grew throughout the Andean region.
In 1919, Pope Benedict XV declared Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá as the Patroness of Colombia. Later, in 1986, Pope St. John Paul II visited the shrine and crowned the image in a solemn act of veneration.
Devotional Significance
Our Lady of Chiquinquirá is venerated as the Mother of Hope, the Restorer of the Faith, and a source of healing and consolation. Her image stands as a reminder of the Blessed Virgin’s maternal solicitude for the Church in the Americas, particularly in times of moral decay and spiritual forgetfulness.
The miracle of Chiquinquirá speaks of the restoration of what is broken, the renewal of grace, and the light that Mary brings to souls darkened by sin. Like the faded image, so many hearts have grown cold — yet Our Lady, through prayer and penance, restores them to life and beauty.
Prayer to Our Lady of Chiquinquirá
O Blessed Virgin of Chiquinquirá,
Queen of Heaven and Mother of Mercy,
look upon thy children who invoke thee with confidence.
Restore in us the image of thy Divine Son,
just as thou didst restore thy holy icon by thy grace.Dispel the darkness of sin, revive the splendor of faith,
and grant us, through thy powerful intercession,
the courage to persevere in holiness and truth.O Lady of the Rosary,
protect thy people, heal the afflicted,
and lead us ever closer to the Heart of thy Son.Amen.