October 12: Our Lady of The Pillar
Our Lady of the Pillar, in Zaragoza, Spain is the first Marian apparition in Church history.
The city of Zaragoza in Spain is unlike any other, for it houses the first church dedicated to Our Lady in the entire Christian world. Indeed, the Blessed Mother’s very first apparition took place here, in Zaragoza, to St. James the Greater and his disciples while she was still living in Jerusalem.
History
It was the year 40 AD. St. James had arrived in Galicia, Spain with his disciples to evangelize the region. However, despite his efforts, he had not been successful in converting the pagans of that land to the Catholic Faith. St. James was very discouraged, and thinking he had failed in his mission, he prayed with his disciples on the shores of the Ebro River, next to the Roman city of Cesar Augusto, today known as Zaragoza.
It was then that they heard the voices of angels singing and they saw the Mother of Christ appear, standing on a marble pillar. The Blessed Virgin, who was still alive on earth, asked the apostle to build a church in her honor on that site, with its altar surrounding the pillar she now stood upon. “This place is to be my house, and this image and column shall be the title and altar of the temple that you shall build… and the people of this land will honor greatly my Son Jesus.” Then, she also promised that “it will stand from that moment until the end of time in order that God may work miracles and wonders through my intercession for all those who place themselves under my patronage.” She also predicted the martyrdom and death of St. James.
The Blessed Virgin disappeared, but the pillar remained. St. James and his disciples immediately began the construction of a church on that site, and help from the rising number of converts due to Our Lady’s intercession hastened its completion. St. James then returned to Palestine and suffered martyrdom under King Herod Agrippa, who decapitated him. He is known as the first of Our Lord’s apostles to die, and his relics are enshrined in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
The church built by St. James was replaced by larger churches over the centuries, ending in the present 17th-century stunning basilica. Today, one can visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and kneel before the very pillar the Blessed Virgin stood upon. This pillar or column represents the solidity of the Catholic Church and of Our Lady’s protection. The magnificent altar dwarfs the miraculous ancient wooden statue, only 15 inches tall. Pilgrims can pass behind the altar to kiss an exposed section of the pillar, worn out due to millions of kisses; and one finds a pleasant aroma emanating from this blessed pillar.
The celebration of the Office and Mass for the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, observed on October 12, was granted for all of Spain by Pope Clement XII in 1730. As the date coincides with the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, the Blessed Virgin Mary was later named as Patroness of the Hispanic World.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Pillar
O Virgin Mother of the Pillar, deigning to appear to thy beloved disciple, St. James, promising him the victory over paganism, and blessing so abundantly his labors for the spread of the True Catholic Faith, secure for us also, who are the children of that same Faith, the victory over our many foes and the paganism that threaten souls in our day.
Through the intercession of thine Apostle, St. James, the “Son of Thunder”, may we help establish everywhere the true devotion to thy Immaculate Heart that Our Lord wills for the conversion of all sinners. Amen.
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza will be visited during the pilgrimage “Fatima to Lourdes to Fatima via Catholic Shrines of Spain," which is scheduled for August 17-28, 2017. This 12-day pilgrimage also includes three days in Fatima to participate in the official SSPX festivities for the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady to the three shepherd children.
or contact Regina Pilgrimages: +1 866-369-8149.
