October 16
Santa María de la
Pampa, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
In 1986, the bishop of Santa Rosa and the Discalced Carmelite Sisters began planning to establish a convent in Santa Rosa, an agricultural hub in the Argentine plains and capital of La Pampa Province. They decided to call the new community Santa María de la Pampa, and the sisters designed and commissioned an image of the Virgin holding the Child in a native poncho. The ceramic image arrived in 1989, before the nuns did. On March 19, 1994, the Monastery was finally inaugurated. The new image of St. Mary spread through the region, finding a place in the lobby of the Provincial Legislature in 1995. On October 16, 1998, a copy was installed in the narthex of Santa Rosa Cathedral, between the papal and provincial flags, in the presence of the Governor and other officials. Ever since, October 16 has been Santa María de la Pampa's special day. Since 2002, a procession from the Cathedral to the Monastery takes place on the following Saturday, followed by mass at the convent chapel.
Source: "Santa María de la Pampa," www.mariologia.org/advocacionesargentina03.pdf
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