OUR LADY OF LORETO

Day 293: March 01

Our Lady of Loreto, Mutxamel, Alicante, Valencia, Spain



The Church of San Salvador in Mutxamel was built in 1511. In 1513 a painter arrived in the city from Biar, about 30 miles to the north, with three works of art to sell for 28 cents each, a fair sum but large at that place and time.

The church of San Salvador did not yet have a processional image, so the priest's father suggested that his son make a collection in order to reach 28 cents, offering to provide missing funds. But people contributed enough to buy the painting of the Virgin of Loreto plus a few candles and decoration with the rest of the contribution.

In 1545, the region suffered a terrible drought. So the people of Mutxamel carried their image of the Virgin in procession to the shrine of the monastery of St Veronica three miles south to St Faz. On the way back, near the town of San Juan, Father Lloréns Boix suddenly found that the painting had become too heavy to carry. He paused and, lifting the protective veil to examine the image, saw a roll of tears from the Virgin's left eye. This touched the contrite hearts of their children and moved them even more to ask for mercy for their sins. The rain fell shortly after. Mutxamel celebrates the Tear Festival, every year on March 1st.

After a drop of tear was fixed on the left cheek of the image as a testimony of this prodigious fact. The thanks continued and the fervor of Mutxamel's children grew, who founded a brotherhood and built a new chapel inaugurated on March 1, 1620.

They have always found comfort in their protector in all their afflictions, but above all they have shown themselves propitious in granting abundant rains to drought.

In the hot months of July, they visit it spiritually and ask for an abundant shower of graces that will restore the supernatural life of all men.

On September 9, the city also holds its patronal feast in honor of the Virgin of Loreto, which includes a re-enactment of "Moors and Christians."


St Justin Russolillo Writes...

"As every suffering of Jesus was your suffering, so too every grace, every glory, every child of those sufferings is also your grace, your glory and your child!"

(Justin Russolillo, Spirit of Prayer, trans. Louis Caputo, Vocationist Fathers, Newark, 1996, p. 158)

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