Virgin of the Solitude

Oaxaca, Mexico (1620)

One version of the story is that a mule with no owner wandered into a pack train on its way from Veracruz to Guatemala City. On December 18, 1620, when the group reached Oaxaca, the mule fell down outside the church of St. Sebastian, which contained a chapel to the Virgin of Soledad. The animal wouldn’t budge, so the drivers took the large box off its back and found inside a statue of the resurrected Jesus and the head and hands for an image of the Virgin. Beautiful garments now hide her missing body. A focus of devotion in southern Mexico, in 1670, Bishop Sarinana y Cuenca consecrated her sanctuary, later adorned with an intricate baroque facade. Pope Pius X authorized the statue to be crowned on January 18, 1909.

 

Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill

Download the free "365 Days with Mary" app

Listen to "365 Days with Mary" each week on The Miracle Hunter® on EWTN Radio