Basílica de la Virgen de los Milagros

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Exterior view

The Basílica de la Virgen de los Milagros (German: Basilica Virgin of Miracles ) is the Roman Catholic cathedral of Caacupé in Paraguay and thus the seat of the bishop of the Caacupé diocese . It bears the title of a minor basilica and a national catholic shrine .

sanctuary

Around 1600 the Guarani sculptor Joseph , who was evangelized by Franciscans in Tobatí, had an apparition of Mary when he was fleeing from pagan persecutors of another tribe and carved two statuettes as thanks for his salvation. One for the Church of Tobatí in the Franciscan mission, the other, 50 cm tall, blue robed statue of the Virgin Mary is shown in the sanctuary of the Virgin of Caacupé , which was inaugurated on December 8, 1765 and developed into an important pilgrimage site. The adoration of the statue of the Virgin Mary is granted protection from floods, among other things. Caacupé is considered the spiritual capital of Paraguay because it houses the largest sanctuary in the country. In 1769 the first chapel was built. Over the centuries, at least eight conversions and new buildings were repeatedly made to continuously enlarge the building.

Building

Basilica of Caacupé during the Pope's visit in 2015

Today's central building with its large dome as the largest church in the country was built from 1945. After many construction delays, the statue of the Virgin Mary was transferred in 1980 before the church was finally completed, which only took place in the following years. The church became the cathedral of the diocese raised by an Apostolic Prefecture in 1967 . The cathedral has been visited twice by popes. In May 1988, she received here by Pope John Paul II. Their consecration . Just before Pope Francis' visit in July 2015, where he preached a sermon, he had given her the title of a minor basilica .

Behind the altar is the statue of Our Lady of Caacupé , on the right one of St. Joseph with the child and on the left a statue of Roque González de Santa Cruz , a Jesuit who was canonized as the first Paraguayan in 1988.

Pilgrimage

Every year in the week around the feast of the Conception of Mary on December 8th, hundreds of thousands of Christians from all parts of Paraguay, but also from the surrounding countries, gather in and in front of the basilica. The pilgrims pay homage to the miraculous Virgin Mary. The high point of the pilgrimage is a large light procession in the evening.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Catedral Basílica Nuestra Señora de los Milagros on gcatholic.org
  2. ^ Stanley D. Brunn: The Changing World Religion Map: Sacred Places, Identities, Practices and Politics. Springer, February 3, 2015, accessed on September 13, 2017 .
  3. ↑ a b Caacupé: the sanctuary, the legend and the image of the patroness of Paraguay. catholic.net, accessed September 10, 2017 .
  4. ↑ - ( Memento from September 13, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ Sacred Sites
  6. ↑ Pope Francis: Mary testifies that God never forsakes us. July 11, 2015, accessed September 12, 2017 .

Coordinates: 25 ° 23 ′ 10 ″  S , 57 ° 8 ′ 36.6 ″  W.