Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
| Virgin of Candelaria | |
|---|---|
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| Virgin of Candelaria, Saint Patron of the Canary Islands. | |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Major shrine | Basilica of Candelaria (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), Tenerife (Canary Islands). Jaro Cathedral (National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles) (Jaro, Iloilo City, Western Visayas). Virgen de Candelaria Chapel (Tatala, Binangonan, Rizal) |
| Feast |
August 14–15 (on Tenerife and the Canary Islands), and on 2 February (also on this day in Tenerife, although minor festival). Every First Saturday of February (Tatala) |
| Attributes | Black Madonna with baby in her right hand and a candle in her left hand, embroidered mantle, gilded coronation crown, sliver of moon |
| Patronage | Canary Islands as well as Cabildo de Tenerife; Oruro and La Paz (Bolivia), Medellín (Colombia), Puno (Peru), Mayagüez (Puerto Rico), Manatí (Puerto Rico), Western Visayas (Philippines) and Tatala, Binangonan, Rizal (Philippines) |
August 14–15 (on Tenerife and the Canary Islands),
The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candelaria (Spanish: Virgen de Candelaria or Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), popularly called La Morenita, celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The center of worship is located in the city of Candelaria in Tenerife. She is depicted as a Black Madonna. The "Royal Basilica Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria" (Basilica of Candelaria), is considered the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Canary Islands. She is the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Her feast is celebrated on February 2 (Candlemas) and August 15, the patronal feast of the Canary Islands. She is also the patroness of Western Visayas region enshrined in Jaro Cathedral or the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles under the Archdiocese of Jaro (with feast day every 2nd of February) in the Philippines and Tatala, one of the barangays in Binangonan, Rizal (also in the Philippines) which celebrate her feast day every First Saturday of February.
According to a legend recorded by Alonso de Espinosa in 1594, a statue of the Virgin Mary, bearing a child in one hand and a green candle in the other (hence "Candelaria"), was discovered on the beach of Chimisay (Güímar) by two Guanche goatherds in 1392. This was before the Castilian conquest of the island of Tenerife (the island was not fully conquered until 1496).
One of the shepherds tried to throw a stone at the statue, but his arm became paralysed; the other tried to stab the statue with a knife but ended up stabbing himself. The statue was taken by the local Guanche mencey, Acaymo, to the cueva de Chinguaro.
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Wikipedia