Our Lady of Suyapa
Patroness of Honduras, venerated as a small cedar statue.
Our Lady of Suyapa, also known as the Virgin of Suyapa, is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a small cedar wood statue (6 cm/2.3 in) from the 18th century. The statue is widely venerated in Honduras, where it is kept in the Basílica of Suyapa in Tegucigalpa, and is the focus of pilgrimages on February 3, commemorating its discovery in 1747.
Quick Facts
- Titles
- Our Lady of Suyapa / Patroness of Honduras
- Venerated In
- Roman Catholic Church
- Major Shrine
- Basilica of the Virgin of Suyapa, Honduras
- Feast Day
- February 3
- Patronage
- Honduras, Central America, Orden de los Caballeros de Suyapa
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The statue of Our Lady of Suyapa was discovered in late January or early February 1747, according to a common Honduran belief. A labourer named Alejandro Colindres and an 8-year-old boy, sent by Colindres's mother to clear cornfields on Piligüin mountain, were overtaken by nightfall and slept outside. Colindres awoke with a sharp pain in his side, finding he was sleeping on something. Later versions claim he threw the object away, only to find it under him again, though this detail is absent from early accounts. The next morning, he found a tiny statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which he took home and placed on the family altar, where it remained for 20 years. By 1777, a chapel was built for the statue, and the first shrine was blessed in 1780. The first notable attested miracle occurred in 1796.
Reader's Guide
Our Lady of Suyapa holds deep significance in Honduras as its patroness, declared by Pope Pius XII on 25 April 1953. The statue, carved from cedar wood and measuring less than 2.5 inches, is known as La Morenita (the Dear Dark One) and is adorned with a dark cloak trimmed with golden stars and jewels. Its veneration includes a feast day on February 3, and the statue is moved annually from its chapel to a larger church to accommodate crowds. The statue has been stolen twice, notably in 1986 when it was stripped of valuables and left in a restaurant restroom. Pope John Paul II visited the shrine on 8 March 1983, and Pope Francis raised it to a Minor Basilica on 28 August 2015. The swift end of the 1969 Football War between Honduras and El Salvador is attributed to the statue, and in that year it was declared Captain General of the Armed Forces of Honduras. A lay male group, the Orden de los Caballeros de Suyapa, cares for the image and escorts it during travels.
Did You Know?
- The statue is only 6 cm (2.3 inches) tall, carved from cedar wood.
- It was discovered in 1747 by labourer Alejandro Colindres, who initially slept on it.
- The statue was stolen in 1986 and later found in a men's room at a restaurant in Tegucigalpa.
- Pope Pius XII declared Our Lady of Suyapa Patroness of Honduras on 25 April 1953.
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