Our Lady of Begoña

Patrona de Bizkaia

Our Lady of Begoña, also called Mother of God of Begoña, is a Marian advocation originating from the prechurch of Begoña, today belonging to Bilbao. Venerated in its basilica on the villa, it is Mother and protection of the Vizcadino people, who know it with affection as "Amatxu"The Mother.

Main data

Central message: on the villa of Bilbao, the Virgin of Begoña welcomes as Mother the Vizcadino people, who go up to their basilica to entrust their sorrows and hopes.

History

The devotion to Our Lady of Begoña has its heart in the basílica de Begoñaon the mountain that dominates Bilbao. There is the image of the Virgin who has given name to the advocation and who has accompanied the people of Bizkaia for centuries.

The ecclesial recognition of his patronage came in the twentieth century: the Pope Pius X canonically declared the Virgin of Begoña patron of Vizcaya in 1903. The minutes of the proclamation were read in conjunction with the Gernika treethe historical symbol of the Vizcadino people, thus linking Marian devotion with the roots of the earth.

A devotion that crossed the seas

The title of Begoña was not left in Bizkaia: it was taken with it by sea and land, by sailors, migrants and devotees. Some episodes show how far this love of Mother came.

Gijón and the Vizcaños fishermen

In Gijón (Asturias), a tradition collected by the chronist Julio Somoza He tells us that some Vizcaínos fishermen, back from fishing on the shores of Newfoundland, were surprised by a great storm. In the fear of losing their lives, they welcomed the protection of their patron, Our Lady of Begoña, and promised to dedicate a chapel to her on the first earth that they would touch if they could be saved. When they landed on the beach of Gijón, they raised a chapel in a nearby promontory; eventually it moved inside, to an area called Campo de Begoña. The chapel was almost destroyed during the War of Independence, but the image was saved, the work of the Gijonese sculptor Luis Fernández de la Vega.

The Virgin in a bottle: Almáciga (Tenerife)

In Almáciga, north-east of Tenerife, an image of Our Lady of Begoña is venerated with a unique origin, dated in 1945: a group of faithful who had left Bilbao by boat to Santiago de Compostela threw a bottle that contained a message and five prints of the Virgin of Begoña on the border. The bottle reached the beaches of Almáciga and, at the request of the neighbors, an exact replica of the image was sent from Bilbao.

These stories are part of the popular piety and the memory of the peoples who received the invocation. Beyond the legendary details, the truth is the real extension of devotion to the Mother of Begoña, inside and outside Bizkaia.

Other advocates of Begoña

Devotion was also spread elsewhere. In Spain, the Virgin of Begoña is patron of the Port of Sagunto (Valencia); in Madrid it has a parish of the Carmelites Fathers in the Colonia Virgen de Begoña, and in Miraflores de la Sierra there is an oratory, the Grotto of Our Lady of Begoña. Outside Spain, she is a patron of Naguaragua (Carabobo State, Venezuela) and gives name to the town of Cuchillo Parado, in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Spiritual message from Begoña

The devotion to the Amatxu of Begoña continues to speak with simplicity today:

⛰️ Mary welcomes from above. On the mountain that dominates Bilbao, the basilica of Begoña awaits those who go up to seek their Mother.
⚓ Mary is the protection of those who risk life. Mariners and fishermen invoked it in the storm, confident in its protection.
🌳 Mary unites faith and roots. His patronage was proclaimed next to the Tree of Gernika, embracing the devotion of the Vizcino people.
✝️ Mary always leads her Son. The people call her Mother because, like every good mother, she never remains for herself: she leads Christ.

Prayer to Our Lady of Begoña

The Marian prayers And prepare his October 11 party by sending you to his protection.