Our Lady of Africa, Patron of Ceuta

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Our Lady of Africa, Patron of Ceuta

Holy Mary of Africa is a Gothic size of the 15th century, a Piety of intense expressionism that represents the Seating Virgin with the body of Christ dead on her knees. He arrived in Ceuta as a donation from the child Don Enrique el Navante and is venerated in his Baroque sanctuary in the square of Africa.

🌹 Wonders and anecdotes

  • The Virgin holds in her hand the "aleo," a branch of acebuche that was the command cane of Don Pedro de Meneses, the first governor of the city: the Patron symbolically holds the command of Ceuta.
  • It was canonically crowned on November 10, 1946, and in 1949 Pius XII officially declared his patronage over the city by short pontifical.
  • He is Mayor of Ceuta and Captain General of the Plaza; every 9 February the Assembly of the City comes under mazas to the sanctuary to ratify the vote of graces.
  • His Baroque sanctuary was raised on the primitive hermitage commanded to be built by Henry the Navigant in 1425, and he kept the golden altarpiece covered by Bishop Martin of Barcia around 1752.
Our Lady of Africa (Ceuta)

Party: August 5 · Place: Ceuta (Spain)

On the border between two continents, Saint Mary of Africa is the soul of Ceuta: a painful mother who has been presiding over the city for six centuries and to whom the Ceutis come in ninth every summer before their feast.

"Our Lady of Africa, Mother and Patron of Ceuta, pray for us.

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