Nomination of Papal legate to Jubilee of Our Lady of the Angels
(July 09, 2011) The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Benedict XVI has
nominated Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega , as his special legate to the closing
celebration of the 375th anniversary of the finding of the image of Our
Lady of the Angels, patroness of Costa Rica. The image of Our Lady of the Angels is
only about three inches high, and is carved in a simple fashion on dark stone. She
has a round, sweet face, slanted eyes and a delicate mouth. Her coloring is leaden,
with scattered golden sparkles. She carries the Christ Child on her left arm. Only
the faces of Mary and the Child are visible; the rest is covered by a cloak that is
gathered in pleats. The closing jubilee ceremony will take place at Cartago, Costa
Rica, on August 2nd 2011. The story goes that while searching for firewood
on 2nd August 1635, the feast of the Holy Angels, a poor mestizo woman
named Juana Pereira discovered this small image of the Virgin sitting beside the footpath
near Cartago, Costa Rica. Juana took it home. The next morning she found that the
statue was not there but back at the rock, so she took it to the priest and he locked
it in a small box. The next morning the statue was back at the rock. During the construction
of the church to house the image, the site was destroyed by earthquakes so many times,
it was finally decided to move it to the location where the statue was originally
found and they were able to finish construction. Many people think that the earthquakes
were signs that the Lady of Los Ángeles wanted the basilica built there. The original
statue is kept in a golden shell inside the basilica. An official decree declared
the Virgin of the Angels the official patroness of Costa Rica.