Chiquinquira – Colombia (Friday, 07-10-2015, Gaudium Press) In July 1986, Saint John Paul II greeted Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquira with the following words: “Holy Mary, Mother of God! We want to dedicate ourselves to you, because 
you are the Mother of God and our Mother, because your Son Jesus entrusted us to you, because you want to be the Mother of the Church in Colombia and this is your sanctuary” This was during his apostolic trip the South American. Words that today we remember in a special way when we celebrate the 96th anniversary of the crowning of the Patroness of Colombia.
As part of this celebration, the Basilica and Sanctuary of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá – where the restored image of the Virgin is kept – a Novena is being said since last June 30th, always held at 6pm (local time ) with the recitation of the Holy Rosary, the novena prayer and the Eucharistic celebration.
On July 8 in the sanctuary a special celebration took place, which included the novena of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, plus a Eucharistic celebration, followed by a cultural event in honor of the Mother of God, held in the “Plaza de la Libertad”.
On the 9th, the day of the renewal of the crowning, the events began early in the morning with the Aurora Rosary, followed by the procession with the restored image and the celebration of a Solemn Eucharist.
The image of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá was crowned on July 9, 1919, after 11 years of waiting and after the request made in 1908 by the Dominican Fathers Provincial, Fr. Maria Cornejo, and by the Shrine Prior, Fr. José Ángel Lombana. (GPE / LMI)
From the Editor’s Desk at Gaudium Press with information from the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá
