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Our Lady of Santa Cruz de Oran: Our Lady who went up to the mountain against cholera

Oran, Argelia

In 1847, during a devastating cholera epidemic in Oran, the French settlers went up processionally to Mount Santa Cruz with the image of the Virgin Mary. The epidemic referred, and since then Our Lady of Santa Cruz became the patron of the city and a symbol of Algerian Marian devotion.

The cholera epidemic of 1847

In 1847, Oran suffered a devastating cholera epidemic that caused thousands of deaths. The population, desperate, went to the Virgin Mary in procession. The faithful went up to Mount Santa Cruz, where there was already a small chapel, bearing the image of the Virgin. According to tradition, the epidemic was significantly retransmitted after the procession.

The Basilica of Santa Cruz

In thanks, a basilica on the top of Mount Santa Cruz between 1850 and 1853. The building, in the Neo-Oromanic style, became the main Marian sanctuary of Oran and of all French Algeria. A statue of the Virgin Mary, visible from the sea, crowned the hill.

The annual procession

Each August 15 (Feast of the Assumption), the Catholics of Oran went up processionally to Mount Santa Cruz. It was the largest religious celebration in the city, with thousands of participants. The procession continued throughout the colonial period and resumed after Algeria's independence (1962) with the small Catholic community that remained.

The Basilica today

After the independence of Algeria (1962) and the departure of most French settlers, the Basilica of Santa Cruz was disused. The building has suffered from abandonment and deterioration, although the statue of the Virgin remains on the top of the mountain. The place is visitable and offers one of the most spectacular views of Oran and the Mediterranean.

Devoción popular

The devotion to Our Lady of St. Cross transcends the Catholic community:

• The Muslims of Oran know the place as Bou Santa Cruz and some visit the hill.
• The statue of the Virgin is a visual milestone recognized by all the inhabitants of Oran.
• The memory of the procession against cholera is part of the local folklore.

Prayer to Our Lady of Santa Cruz

O Our Lady of Holy Cross, who in the hour of plague and death you came down from the mountain to comfort the afflicted of Oran, intercede to your Son for the sick and the suffering. May your image on the hill of Santa Cruz be a beacon of hope for all who look at the sea. May the procession of your faithful never cease, and may your protection cover the city of Oran and all its inhabitants. Amen.