OUR LADY OF THE CLOUD

Day 232: December 30

Our Lady of the Cloud, Quito, Ecuador



In 1696, Bishop Sancho of Andrade e Figueroa of Quito was very ill. All his faithful were particularly worried about him and feared his death, so they decided to turn to the Virgin Mary, organizing a novena to obtain his healing. While they were in procession through the streets of the city towards the cathedral reciting the Holy Rosary on December 30, 1696, suddenly the image of Mary appeared in the midst of the clouds.

The Virgin wore a crown on her head and a bouquet of lilies were clasped in her right hand as if it were a sceptre. The left held the Child Jesus with his head slightly inclined. Her hair was covered by a light veil that seemed to be formed by a cloud itself. She wore a simple tunic that fell in white and wavy folds, half hidden by a mantle of majestic and regal width. A cloud served as her throne.

About 500 people witnessed the marvellous event, while the bishop was suddenly healed at that moment. However, not everyone was able to see that extraordinary apparition, but the news spread quickly reaching as far as Lima.

The bishop authorized devotion to Our Lady of the Cloud, having an altar dedicated to her erected in the Cathedral of Quito. It is particularly honored with a procession on January 1st, just in view of this feast at the beginning of each year, in particular, thousands of faithful from all areas of Ecuador and abroad go to the city of Azogues to venerate and participate in all the events prepared by the Franciscans, including the procession that commemorates the first miracle of the virgin that also unites the general devotion with tourists. This procession is also played in other parts of the world, including New York City.

The Virgin of the Cloud is strongly associated in Peruvian worship with the Lord of Miracles, a mural painting depicting Jesus crucified. In 1655 an earthquake devastated the city of Lima, reducing most of the buildings to rubble. The wall on which the painting of Jesus crucified stood was spared and survived even the subsequent earthquakes. The citizens began to pray with devotion to the image and to obtain healings and graces from it: this meant that the painting was considered miraculous and called, in fact, "Lord of Miracles".

In 1670 a pious man, named Antonio de Leon, took on the task of restoring the image and devotion to her after being cured of a malignant tumor.

On September 14, 1671, in front of the depiction of the crucified Christ, the first Mass took place; on October 20, 1687, after yet another earthquake spared the painting, the faithful made a canvas copy of the mural and began to carry it in procession through the streets of the PacchaCamilla neighborhood. Since 1747 it has been carried in procession together with the canvas of the "Madonna della Nube" (Our Lady of the Cloud).


St Justin Russolillo Writes...

"O Holy Promised Land, to you alone the Spirit leads souls; in you alone is established every structure of holiness, to you alone is entrusted every seed of inspiration; in you alone takes place every mission; in you alone is the Divine Activity infused and stretches forth and rules!"

(Justin Russolillo, Spirit of Prayer, trans. Louis Caputo, Vocationist Fathers, Newark, 1996, p. 144)

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