April 30
Notre Dame d'Afrique, Algiers, Algeria
In 1838, after the French conquest of Algiers, the Catholic Church established a diocese there for the first time after centuries of Islamic rule. In 1840, when the new bishop of Algiers was passing through Lyons, France, the sodality of the Children of Mary there gave him a bronze statue of the Virgin with outstretched hands—a dark-complexioned version of the image on the recently popular Miraculous Medal and supposed, like it, to have been modeled after Edmé Bouchardon's 1735 silver statue, destroyed during the French Revolution, in the Church of St. Sulpice, Paris. The statue stayed at a monastery outside Algiers until 1857, when the bishop built a hilltop chapel for it in the city. In July 1872 the new Cathedral of Algiers was dedicated, and the following May the statue of Our Lady of Africa was installed there. Pope Pius IX approved the bishop's request for a solemn coronation of the statue, and his successor, Leo XIII, donated a crown. On April 30, 1876, Our Lady was crowned Queen of Africa. Ever since the Church has honored Notre Dame d'Afrique on this date.
Sources:
 | fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_Notre-Dame_d'Afrique |
| Missionary Sisters of OLoAfrica, www.smnda.org (since changed to soeurs-blanches.cef.fr) |
| Brother Matthew of Saint Joseph, "The Algerian War," The Catholic Counter-Reformation in the 21st Century, No. 51, Nov. 2006, www.crc-internet.org/HIR2006/December51_1b.htm (picture) |
Also commemorated this date:
| Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Bijstand, Bornem, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium (Our Lady of Help). Procession. |
| Our Lady of the Rosary, Longtian, Fuzhou, Fujian, East China. First stone of shrine placed, 1993. |
| Notre-Dame de Bon Secours, Neuvizy, Ardennes, Grand Est, France (Our Lady of Good Help). Children found statue in woods, 1752. |
| Beata Vergine di Lourdes, Albinea, Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Montericco district. Statue installed in new shrine, 1899. Festa February 11. |
| Virgen de la Soledad, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. City patron. Virgin's statue brought down from altar so faithful can pass under her mantle. |
| Onze Lieve Vrouw van Lourdes, Valkenburg aan de Geul, Limburg, Netherlands, Cauberg district. Grotto season opening. |
| Birhen ng Antipolo, Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage). Night procession from Quiapo to Cathedral. |
| Nuestra Señora del Villar, Sediles, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. Dawn serenade, rosary procession from church to shrine, mass in town church. |
| Virgen del Rosario, Dosbarrios, Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. Evening serenade at rural chapel. |
| Virgen de las Veredas, Torrecampo, Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain. Fiesta. |
| Santa María de la Encarnación, Alhama de Granada, Granada, Andalucía, Spain. Church consecrated, 1482. |
| Madonna delle Rive, Faido, Ticino, Switzerland. Oratory blessed, 1841. |