The image of Our Lady of Leche in the first Marian Shrine established in the United States at Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine is to be crowm through a Canonical Coronation on Oct. 10, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.
Our Lady of La Leche
In the early 1600s, Spanish settlers brought with them to the New World a special devotion to Nuestra Señora de La Leche y del Buen Parto (Our Lady of the Milk and of Happy Birth). Four hundred years later, Our Lady of La Leche continues to attract countless people asking for graces of life and thanking God for the infinite power He gave to her. Many times, pilgrims come with a "La Leche baby" in their arms, the fruit of their love, the special gift from the Mother of God.
The crowning of Our Lady of La Leche is a rare honor granted to the Shrine by the Holy Father. The canonical coronation places a “papal stamp” on a particular devotion of the church, in this case, to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of La Leche. The devotion dates back centuries in various parts of the world; however, in this particular shrine, the devotion has been uninterrupted and growing for more than 400 years.
Canonical Coronations in the USA
A Canonical Coronation is a formal act of the pope to crown an image of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or St. Joseph in the name of the Holy Father. The crowning acknowledges that the specific image, while having local significance, also has universal importance for the Catholic Church. There are only three images of the Blessed Virgin Mary granted with this special honor in the US.
- Our Lady of Prompt Succor, crowned in 1895, in New Orleans, LA;
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1904, in New York City, N.Y.;
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, 2013, in Lake Charles, LA.
Our Lady of La Leche in St. Augustine will be the fourth!
October 10, 2021
Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, archbishop of Madrid, Spain, as his papal legate for the ceremony, which bestows an ornamental crown upon the statue of Jesus and Mary. The statue will be then enthroned in the historic chapel at the National Shrine after the Coronation ceremony.
While the Mass for the Coronation is by invitation only in the Cathedral, the ceremony will be live-streamed for all to see at the Shrine at 2pm.
Plenary Indulgence
The Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See, by mandate of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has granted a Plenary Indulgence to all the Catholic faithful who participate at the celebration for the Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of La Leche in person or virtually via live-stream.
See usual conditions >
