Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura, Spain
The image, with its vestments, enshrined in the monastery.
Location	Cáceres, Spain
Date	c. 14th century
Witness	Gil Cordero
Type	Marian apparition
Approval	12 October 1928, during the Canonical coronation granted by Pope Pius XI
Shrine	Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe
Attributes	Dark skin

The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe was a very important place in the Middle Ages. It was the most famous shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the old kingdom of Castile, Spain. The special statue is kept in the Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe. This monastery is in the Extremadura region of Spain, in the Cáceres province.

This statue is one of three Black Madonnas found in Spain. A "Black Madonna" is a statue of Mary that has dark skin. The statue was officially crowned on October 12, 1928. Pope Pius XI approved this special crowning. The crown was made by Father Felix Granda, and King Alfonso XIII of Spain was there for the event.

It's important not to mix up this statue with Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico. They are two different statues and stories.

The Shrine's Story

The shrine holds a statue that people believe was carved by Luke the Evangelist. He was one of the writers of the Bible. It is said that he gave it to Saint Leander, who was an important church leader in Seville. He received it from Pope Gregory I.

According to an old local story, Seville was taken over by the Moors in the year 712. The Moors were people from North Africa who ruled parts of Spain. A group of priests ran away and buried the statue in the hills. This was near the Guadalupe River in Extremadura.

Around the early 1300s, the Virgin Mary appeared to a simple cowboy. His name was Gil Cordero. He was looking for a lost animal in the mountains. Cordero said that the Virgin Mary told him to ask priests to dig in that spot. The priests found the hidden statue. They built a small shrine around it. This small shrine grew into the large monastery you see today.

What the Statue Looks Like

The statue is made of cedar wood and is painted with many colors. It is a little over two feet tall. It is a Black Madonna, meaning it has dark skin. The style is called Sedes Sapientiae, or "Seat of Wisdom." This means the Christ Child sits on Mary's lap, like she is a throne of wisdom.

Since the late 1300s, the wooden statue has been mostly covered. It wears fancy, embroidered clothes. Only the faces and hands of Mary and baby Jesus can be seen. These expensive robes are often stitched with gold thread. They are also decorated with precious jewels. This shows how much honor people give to the Virgin Mary. It also shows how wealthy the people who donated the robes were. Because of these clothes, the actual wooden statue is rarely seen.

Pilgrimages to Guadalupe

People started making special trips, called pilgrimages, to the shrine in 1326. In 1340, King Alfonso XI became very interested in the shrine. He believed the Virgin Mary helped him win a big battle against the Moors. This was the Battle of Río Salado. Because of this, he had a Hieronymite monastery built there.

By 1386, copies of the statue were placed in smaller chapels nearby. Our Lady of Guadalupe, along with Santiago de Compostela and Nuestra Señora del Pilar, became important symbols. They helped unite the Christian Spaniards in their fight to take back the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. This fight was called the reconquista.

It was at this monastery that Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II signed important papers. These papers allowed Christopher Columbus to make his first trip to the Americas in 1492. When Columbus returned, he visited the monastery. He went there to thank God for his safe journey.

Because of the special rights given by the two Catholic Monarchs and later rulers, the monastery of Guadalupe became very rich. It was one of the wealthiest church buildings in Spain. In 1993, the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means it is a place of special cultural or historical importance.

Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Philippines

Virgen de Guadalupe of Loboc

Fresco from 1876 showing a miracle in San Pedro Church, Loboc. It was painted by Ray Francia.

A copy of the Spanish statue is kept in Loboc Church. This church is on the island province of Bohol in the Philippines. People say that the Virgin Mary has performed miracles there. The most famous miracle is shown in a painting on the church ceiling. It was painted by Ray Francia, a famous artist.

The story says that Loboc had a terrible flood on November 26, 1876. The floodwaters covered the church altar. But, the water stopped right at the base of the Virgin's statue. The statue stayed safe as the water went down. Also, no one in the town was hurt, even though there was a lot of damage.

Many people from all over the Philippines visit Loboc for the statue's feast day in May. Childless women often come to ask for the Virgin's help. They dance the Bolibongkingking in front of the statue. Those who later have children return to the shrine to give thanks. They often dedicate their child to God. Rich people sometimes offer new clothes and metal decorations to the Virgin. These are called ex votos.

The statue of Mary honored at the main altar.

The Bolibongkingking Festival

The people of Loboc celebrate the Virgen de Guadalupe every May 24. The festival is named after the sounds of local drums (bolibong) and gongs (kingking). These are used in the special dance. The celebrations start nine days before the feast day. People chant Gozos to the Virgin before Mass each day. A Gozo is a type of hymn in the Philippines. It is usually sung in the local language or Latin. It is like a ballad that praises God or a special patron saint.

On the bísperás, or the day before the feast, a boat parade is held. This happens on the Loboc River. The statue is taken from its shrine and placed on a large boat. This boat is usually a floating restaurant. Songs, marches, and hymns about Mary are played. Important church and government leaders join the parade. This parade remembers a miracle from the 1840s. A cholera sickness ended after the townspeople carried the statue to the river.

The actual Bolibongkingking Festival takes place on the feast day itself. This dance is for both healing and giving thanks. People who are dancing face the statue. They sway to the beat of the drums and gongs. They lift their hands and pray to God. They ask for help through the Virgen de Guadalupe.

See also

In Spanish: Virgen de Guadalupe (Extremadura) para niños

• List of churches under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe