Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Los Realejos) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel |
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Facade of the Shrine.
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna |
| Province | Archdiocese of Seville |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Marian shrine |
| Year consecrated | 1965 |
| Location | |
| Location | Los Realejos, Tenerife, Spain. |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Tomás Machado |
| Architectural type | church |
| Architectural style | Neoclassicism |
| Groundbreaking | 1955 |
| Completed | 1965 |
The Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (which is called Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Spanish) is a Roman Catholic church building. It is located in Los Realejos, a town in the northern part of the island of Tenerife. Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands in Spain. The shrine is found in an area called San Agustín.
This church is considered the most important Marian shrine in northern Tenerife. A Marian shrine is a special place of worship dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Virgin of Mount Carmel is also the patron saint of the Orotava Valley, a beautiful valley nearby.
History of the Shrine
From Convent to Shrine
Before the current church was built, there was a different religious building on this spot. It was a convent called Convent of San Andrés and Santa Mónica, which belonged to a group of monks called the Augustinians. Sadly, on February 21, 1952, a big fire destroyed this old convent.
After the fire, plans were made to build a new and special church. The design for the new building was created by an architect named Tomás Machado in 1953. On July 24, 1955, a ceremony was held to bless the very first stone of the new Shrine. The construction finished, and the church opened for people to worship on July 25, 1965.
Important Moments
On July 18, 1982, something very special happened. The statue of the Virgin of Mount Carmel received a Canonical Coronation. This is a special honor given by the Pope or a bishop, recognizing the importance of the statue and the devotion people have to it. It was one of the first statues on the island to receive this honor.
Since 1999, the Shrine and the area around it have been recognized as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) of the Canary Islands. This means it is considered a very important cultural heritage site that needs to be protected.
A big celebration took place on July 25, 2015. This was the 50th anniversary of the church opening. During this event, the Bishop of the Diocese of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez Afonso, officially declared the church a Shrine. This title makes it an even more important place for pilgrims and visitors.
See Also
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna
- Los Realejos
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel
In Spanish: Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Los Realejos) para niños
