Created in
the city of Tolosa, Spain in the fourteenth century, the statue of Our Lady of
Remedies is said to be one of the oldest statues of Mary on the American
continent as it traveled over-seas with Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. She was
brought into battle as Spanish soldiers set out to conquest Mexico, marching
from Veracruz to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, which is now the current day
Mexico City.
On the
night of July 8, 1520, Our Lady was hidden under the brush of a cactus as the
Spaniards fled from the Aztecs on the Noche
Triste, or "night of sorrows." Here she remained for twenty years until she
was found by Juan Cuautli, an Indian chief who collected the image and housed
it in his private chapel for many years until moving it to the Nuestra Senora de los Remedios church in
Naucalpan, near Mexico City. Here you
can still find the centuries old statue, dressed in embroidered and bejeweled
robes, carrying the baby Jesus in her arms.
Along the
walls of the church are statements and pictures from grateful followers
describing their personal experiences of help from Our
Lady of
Remedies. She became known for her power of intercession in times of urgent
need and great disaster when she protected people from floods, droughts,
epidemics, wars, and political crisis. People still believe that if it wasn’t
for their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Spaniards would never have come out victorious in their fight for the land.
Hansen, Mary. 2011. Madonnas of Mexico: Miraculous Images of Our Lady. North Bay, Ontario, Canada: Heavens Above! Publications, 2011.
Liguori. Mary Throughout Latin America. MO: Liguori Publications, 2005.
Researched by Mary T. Landry
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