Pilar
Encyclopedia
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. She is considered the Patroness of the country and the Spanish Civil Guard. Her shrine is in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
The Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. The Basilica venerates Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title Our Lady of the Pillar praised as Mother of the Hispanic Peoples by Pope John Paul II...
in Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, by the river Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
.
St. James the Greater
According to tradition, On January 2, 40 AD, in the early days of the Church, James the Greater, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, was evangelizing the Gospel in what was then the pagan land of Caesaraugusta, now Zaragoza. He was disheartened with his mission, making little progress having only few converts who had been traveling with him. In his despair, while praying by the banks of Ebro River, Mother Mary miraculously appeared before him and his group, comforting him and promised to help. Mary gave him a columnColumn
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
or pillar as a symbol, being carried by angels with an image of the Mother on top. James was instructed to build a chapel on the spot where Mary left the pillar, a place where she and the pillar would dwell forever; so that by the grace of God, will marvel those who believed and asked in their hour of need. James returned to Jerusalem after establishing the church in Zaragoza and was ordered beheaded in 44 AD by King Herod Agrippa I
Agrippa I
Agrippa I also known as Herod Agrippa or simply Herod , King of the Jews, was the grandson of Herod the Great, and son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. His original name was Marcus Julius Agrippa, so named in honour of Roman statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and he is the king named Herod in the...
. The land he left eventually became believers of Christ through the works of his disciples.
First apparition of Mary
This is believed to be the very first apparition of Mary, and the only one before her assumptionAssumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
. Mary was still living in Jerusalem at that time, and was believed to have appeared to James through bilocation
Bilocation
Bilocation, or sometimes multilocation, is a term used to describe the ability/instances in which an individual or object is said to be, or appears to be, located in two distinct places at the same instant in time...
. The church established by St. James is the very first church dedicated to Mother Mary in the history of Roman Catholicism.
The Shrine to Our Lady of the Pillar
The pillar, now presently enshrined by the larger Basilica of Our Lady of the PillarBasilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
The Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. The Basilica venerates Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title Our Lady of the Pillar praised as Mother of the Hispanic Peoples by Pope John Paul II...
, is believed to be the same one given and promised by Mary, in spite of numerous disasters that beset the church. A fire burned down the church previous to the basilica in 1434. During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, two bombs hit and damaged the basilica but none exploded. The event was attributed as a miracle, and the deactivated bombs have been on display at the basilica premises since.
The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary may or may not be the original. Some report that the original wooden image was destroyed when the church burned down in 1434, contradicting the report that it is still the original statue. The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is made of wood and stands 39 centimetre tall while the 6 feet (1.8 m) pillar is made of Jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
. The statue depicts Mother Mary with the baby Jesus on her left arm, who has a dove sitting on his left palm. Since the 16th century, the pillar is usually draped by a skirt-like cover called manto (in English: mantle).
Feast day
Our Lady of the Pillar is celebrated on 12th of October and is the patroness of Spain, the HispanicHispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
peoples, and the Spanish Civil Guard
Civil Guard (Spain)
The Civil Guard is the Spanish gendarmerie. It has foreign peace-keeping missions and maintains military status and is the equivalent of a federal military-status police force. As a police force, the Guardia Civil is comparable today to the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri and the...
. A grand nine-day festival known as Fiestas del Pilar
Fiestas del Pilar
Fiestas del Pilar are an annual festival celebrated in the city of Zaragoza in honour of the patron saint of the city, the Virgen del Pilar . They take place the week of the 12th of October...
is celebrated in Zaragoza every year in her honor. St. James (in Spanish: Santiago) is also venerated as the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Spain.
Philippines
Ruled by Spain for over three hundred years, in the predominantly Catholic country of the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Our Lady of the Pillar is honored as the patroness in a number parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es and municipalities
Municipalities of the Philippines
A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also called towns . They are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit...
in the country; seven are named Pilar in her honor. There is a town named Pilar in the provinces
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of Abra, Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
, Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
, Capiz
Capiz
Capiz is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Roxas City and is located at the northeastern portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the south. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the north...
, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, Surigao del Norte
Surigao del Norte
Surigao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Caraga region in Mindanao. Its capital is Surigao City. The province consists of two major islands—Siargao Island and Bucas Grande Island—in the Philippine Sea, and a small region at the northernmost tip of the island of...
and Sorsogon
Sorsogon
Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region; it is the southernmost province in Luzon and is subdivided into fourteen municipalities and one city. Its capital is Sorsogon City and borders the province of Albay to the north...
. As in Spain, her feast
Fiesta patronal
The Fiestas patronales are yearly celebrations held in countries influenced by Spanish culture.A fiesta patronal is usually dedicated to a saint or virgin, who is the patron of whichever city holds the fiesta. Usually, town members adorn the town streets with colorful decorations and other things...
day is celebrated every October 12.
- In Zamboanga CityZamboanga CityThe City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
, the Virgin of the Pillar has been venerated for almost four centuries as the patroness of the city and in the Archdiocese of ZamboangaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of ZamboangaThe Archdiocese of Zamboanga is a Catholic archdiocese in the Philippines. Its present jurisdiction includes Zamboanga City, with suffragans in Basilan , Sulu Archipelago and Zamboanga Sibugay...
. Her bas relief atop the eastern gate of the 17th century Spanish military fort dedicated to Lady, Fort PilarFort PilarFort Pilar is a 17th century military defense fortress built by the Spanish colonial government in Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island in the Republic of the Philippines...
(Full name: Royal Fort of our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza, El Fuerza Real de Nuestra Señora Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza), is now a Catholic MarianMarianMarian may refer to:* Marian , people with the given name Marian* Maid Marian, companion of Robin Hood* Marian, an adjective for things relating to Gaius Marius...
shrine. The city has also a street named after her - Pilar Street. - In Davao CityDavao CityThe City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
, a shrine in honor of Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Magsaysay Park was built through the collaborative efforts of Circulo Zamboangueño de Davao, a local group of transposed from Zamboanga City. - Our Lady of the Pillar is also the patroness of Santa CruzSanta Cruz, ManilaSanta Cruz is located on the right bank of the Pasig River, on the northern portion of the City of Manila, near the mouth of the river, in between the districts of Tondo and Quiapo...
parish church in the district of the same name, in the city of ManilaManilaManila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The Jesuits had brought along with them the patroness when they administered the church during the Spanish era. Her feast dayCalendar of saintsThe calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
is also celebrated every 12th of October in the district. However, the church has its Marian procession on the 3rd week of October. - In Imus, CaviteImus, CaviteThe Municipality of Imus is a first-class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines, and it is the officially designated capital of Cavite...
, Our Lady of the Pillar is the patroness of the Diocese and Town of Imus. The town celebrates its fiestaFiesta patronalThe Fiestas patronales are yearly celebrations held in countries influenced by Spanish culture.A fiesta patronal is usually dedicated to a saint or virgin, who is the patron of whichever city holds the fiesta. Usually, town members adorn the town streets with colorful decorations and other things...
every October with it's popular Karakol, a ritual dance-procession performed in all town fiestas around the Province of Cavite.
External links
- The Mary Page from the University of Dayton
- Interfaith Mary Page
- The Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary