marian anniversaries september
September 28
Nuestra Señora del Sagrario, Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain
There are several statues of Mary in Toledo's cathedral, but the most revered is Our Lady of the Tabernacle, the city's patron, who has held a place of honor there since the building of the present church in the 1200s. Her legend relates that the image, once owned by the Apostles, was brought to Toledo by Saint Eugenius II, Bishop from 647 to 657. When Muslim conquerors approached in 711, Christians hid the statue in a well in the cathedral cloister. When Alfonso VI of León and Castile reconquered Toledo, one story goes, the statue emerged from the well water holding a lighted candle ("Capilla del Santísimo," Catedral Primada Toledo, www.catedralprimada.es). Another story holds that the well was dry, and that, alerted by a light that shone night after night on a section of the cathedral, people dug there and found the statue. On the spot is the present Blessed Sacrament Chapel, where Our Lady's statue accompanies the tabernacle containing the Body and Blood of her Son.
The loquat wood statue is a classic medieval Virgin in Majesty, seated on a throne, with the Child in the middle of her lap. Canonically crowned May 30, 1926, the image was profaned in the Civil War. It was recrowned September 28, 1939. The Virgin's feast day is celebrated with great festivities August 15.
Sources:
 | "Imagen que Perteneció a los Apóstoles: Virgen del Sagrario de Toledo, España (15 de agosto)," Foros de la Virgen, forosdelavirgen.org |
| "Virgen del Sagrario," La Madre de Dios, ziarre.iespana.es/castillalamancha/cm001.htm (information and photo) |
Also celebrated this date:
| Our Lady of the Rosary, Roman Catholic Church. Start of novena preceding October 7 feast day. |
| Mother of God, Ražkoŭka, Kamianiec, Brest, Belarus. On Sept. 28, 1942, because of an apparition, a German officer spared the village slated for massacre. He had a wooden relief carved of the Madonna who appeared to him, which he gave to the Orthodox church in the village. Feast this date. |
| Notre-Dame de Cambron, Cambron-Casteau, Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. Abbey dedicated, 1322. |
| Palladium země české, Stará Boleslav, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic (Palladium of Czech Land). Pilgrimage honors gold icon carried by St. Wenceslas when murdered this date. |
| Madonna di Salera, Cravegna, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont, Italy. Sacro Monte blessed, 1727. |
| Our Lady of Diman, Dimane, Bsharri, Lebanon. First stone laid, 1899. |
| Novonikita Mother of God, Moscow, Russia (September 15 Julian). Orthodox liturgy honors the Novonikita icon along with St. Nicetas the Goth, converted by the image's appearing on his chest, martyred on this date in 372. |
| Nuestra Señora del Fresno, Grado, Asturias, Spain (Our Lady of the Ash Tree). Fiesta (preceded by novena & followed by St. Michael's fiesta); mass, procession. |
| Nuestra Señora de Villaoril, Piñera, Navia, Asturias, Spain. Fiesta. Mass; procession to holy spring, accompanied by drums & bagpipes; vendor stalls. |