May 8
Nuestra Señora de
Luján, Luján, Mendoza, Argentina
The story of Our Lady
of Lujan, patron of Argentina, goes back to 1630, when Antonio Farías Sáa, a
rancher based in Sumampa in the north-central part of the country, decided
to build a chapel to the Virgin on his estate. He asked a friend in Brazil
to send him a statue of the Immaculate Conception. The friend sent two, one
with the child Jesus and one without. When the images arrived in Buenos
Aires, they were placed in a cart which left in a caravan for Sumampa. The
party stopped on the banks of the river Lujan 42 miles from Buenos Aires, at
the Rosendo Ranch. The next day when they started to leave, the cart with
the statues wouldn't move, even after the rest of its load was taken out and
more oxen hitched. The images remained in the bottom of the cart in two
small boxes. The teamsters removed one, and it still didn't move. They put
it back and took out the other, and the cart moved normally. Then the men
realized that a miracle had occurred. On seeing that one Virgin didn't want
to go farther, they took her to don Rosendo's hacienda. The family was moved
to see the image—the childless statue—and installed it in their house.
The news spread throughout the region to Buenos Aires. Pilgrims began
traveling to the spot, so don Rosendo built a small chapel, where the statue
stayed until 1674. In the 1700s, the church of Our Lady of Lujan became the
nucleus of a growing community. On May 8, 1887, she was crowned by order of
Leo XIII, and her feast established on the Saturday before the fourth Sunday
after Easter. A larger sanctuary was built, which Pius II gave the title of
Basilica in 1930. The 15" terracotta statue stands in a protective silver
sheath, covered in turn by robes in the national colors of white and sky
blue. Now the principal celebration takes place on the coronation
anniversary, May 8.
Preface from today's Mass in honor of the Virgin of Lujan:
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Realmente es justo y necesario, Padre todopoderoso, que entonemos siempre en tu honor himnos y cantos de alabanza, especialmente por el amor sin límites que quisiste manifestarnos en María, Virgen y Madre: Una humilde imagen de su limpia y pura Concepción se quedó milagrosamente en la Villa de Luján como signo de su maternal protección sobre tu pueblo peregrinante en la Argentina, para que llevados de su mano podamos llegar al trono del Cordero inocente que quita el pecado del mundo, Cristo Jesús, tu Hijo y nuestro único Salvador. |
It is truly right and just, Father all-powerful, that in your honor we should always sing hymns and songs of praise, especially for the boundless love that you wished to show us in Mary, Virgin and Mother: A humble image of her stainless and pure Conception remained miraculously in the town of Lujan as a sign of her maternal protection over your pilgrim people in Argentina, so that brought by her hand we may reach the throne of the innocent Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, your Son and our only Savior. |
Sources:
 | "Efemérides – Día de Nuestra Señora de Luján," Portal Educativo de la Provincia de Mendoza, www.mendoza.edu.ar |
| the shrine's former website, www.basilicadelujan.org.ar. |
| Patricio Burraco, "Virgen de Luján Photo," 2007, TrekEarth, www.trekearth.com |
Also commemorated this date:
| Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary over the Order of Preachers |
| Nuestra Señora de las Escuelas Pias (Our Lady of the Pious Schools), feast of the Piarist Order |
| Madonna della Purità, patronal feast of the Theatine Order |
| Mary, Health of the Sick, patronal feast of the Servants of Mary, Ministers to the Sick |
| Chlum Svaté Máří, Sokolov, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic |
| Mater Formosa, Hejnice, Liberec, Czech Republic (Lovely Mother). Pilgrimage from Czech Rep., Poland, and Germany. |
| Vierge Marie, Signy-le-Petit, Ardennes, Grand Est, France. Private apparition, 1890, to children Marie & Alfred Cailleaux. |
| Notre Dame de l'Étoile, Montebourg, Manche, Normandy, France (Our Lady of the Star). Patronal feast of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. |
| Sainte Vierge, Ars-sur-Formans, Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. Apparition to St. John Vianney witnessed by Etiennette Durié, 1840. |
| Madonna di Pompei, Cavriana, Mantova, Lombardy, Italy. Fair in Bande district. |
| Madonna del Soccorso, Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Fresco crowned, 1718. |
| Madonna di Carpineto, Rapino, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy. Festa & procession. |
| Madonna della Misericordia, Acqualagna, Pesaro e Urbino, Marche, Italy. Rebuilt church consecrated, 1859. Festa September 8. |
| Madonna di Pompei, Orte, Viterbo, Latium, Italy. Procession. |
| Madonna del Rosario, Pompei, Naples, Campania, Italy. Church consecrated, 1891. Festas May 8 & first Sunday in October. |
| Madonna dell'Alica, Palizzi, Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy, Pietrapennata district. Festa. |
| Madre de Jesús, Cuapa, Nicaragua. First apparition to Bernardo Martinez, 1980. |
| Virgen de La Caridad, Petilla de Aragón, Navarre, Spain (Virgin of Charity). Romería. Fiesta September 8. |
| Virgen de La Cuesta, Alconchel de la Estrella, Cuenca, Castilla La Mancha, Spain. Romería May 7, fiesta at chapel May 8, procession May 9. |