Our Lady of Guadalupe of Santa Fe

Marian Invocation of Santa Fe (Santa Fe)

La devoción a Our Lady of Guadalupe de Santa Fe (Argentina) is linked to the expansion of the Mexican Guadalupan cult by Hispanoamerica, especially from the 18th century. The image venerated in Santa Fe is a reproduction inspired by the tima of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico, arrived in colonial times and enthroned in the then city of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz; its presence has been documented at least since the 18th century. She is considered the patron of the city and of the archdiocese of Santa Fe, with a very deep-rooted cult throughout the region.

Main data

Origin and history

La devoción a Our Lady of Guadalupe de Santa Fe (Argentina) is linked to the expansion of the Mexican Guadalupan cult by Hispanoamerica, especially from the 18th century. The image venerated in Santa Fe is a reproduction inspired by the tima of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico, arrived in colonial times and enthroned in the then city of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz; its presence has been documented at least since the 18th century. She is considered the patron of the city and of the archdiocese of Santa Fe, with a very deep-rooted cult throughout the region.

According to the local tradition, a religious (usually mentioned a merchant) would have brought the image from Alto Perú or from Mexico, and his arrival would have been accompanied by graces and favors considered miraculous by the faithful. These stories are part of devotional memory, but they cannot always be accurately verified in the time documents, so they should be considered a pious tradition.

En la documented history, the ancient chapel and then temple of Guadalupe was gaining importance as a regional pilgrimage center throughout the 19th century. On June 27, 1899, the Virgin of Guadalupe was officially proclaimed patron of the diocese of Santa Fein recognition of the "extraordinary devotion" of the people. From then on the great annual diocesan pilgrimage was consolidated and the temple became one of the main Marian shrines of Argentina.

The image and the sanctuary

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Santa Fe is a guadalupana image of a Mexican type: it shows the Virgin Mary in a praying attitude, standing on the moon, held by an angel, with a starry blue mantle and pink tunic, characteristic features of the iconography that emerged in the Tepeyac. This is a devout copy of the original Mexican, dating back to the 18th century; it is made on pictorial support (table or canvas) and framed for veneration in the temple's main altar. For its antiquity and the tradition of associated graces, it is considered a particularly venerated and "miraculous" image by the faithful.

The sanctuary is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Santa Fe, Marian temple of great importance in the city and on the Argentine coast. It has been elevated to the range of minor basilica, which recognizes the significance of the place of worship and the breadth of devotion. The basilica presents a larger temple architecture of pilgrimage, with a wide ship to host crowds and spaces for continuous confessions and celebrations, especially around December 12. It is the main Guadalupan centre in the region and one of the most popular Marian shrines in the country.

Sponsorship and coronation

Our Lady of Guadalupe is patron of the city and of the archdiocese of Santa Fe. The official proclamation as patron and holder of the diocese was made 27 June 1899in the context of a great diocesan pilgrimage and the recognition of the strong roots of his veneration in the Santafesino people. Since then, the diocesan pastoral and ecclesial identity of Santa Fe are articulated around this Marian advocation.

The image of Guadalupe de Santa Fe received the grace of a pontific coronation: the concession was granted in 1924 and officially communicated in mid- 1927 by the Pope Pío XI. The coronation took place within the framework of the great pilgrimage of the following year, the 22 April 1928in a mass celebration that confirmed the place of this advocation as a central Marian sign of the Santafesina Church. This is one of the most significant Marian pontifical coronations in Argentina in the early 20th century.

Party and devotion

La main party of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Santa Fe is celebrated the 12 December, in line with the memory of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico and the tradition of the mainland Guadalupana. On that day, and in the previous days, there are novas, continuous masses, confessions, processions and acts of popular piety that bring together a large number of faithful from the city, the archdiocese and other regions of the country.

La pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe de Santa Fe has a massive and diocesan character, and has been consolidated since the late 19th century. Multitudes come on foot, in family, in parish groups and movements, carrying candles, flowers and exvotes in thanks for the favors received. Devotion is characterized by a strong dimension of the maternal closeness of Mary, by the confidence in her intercession in situations of illness, family problems and material needs, and by the constant presence of the Virgin in the popular religiosity of the coast.

Around the party are also held popular traditions: serenades and Marian songs, honour guards, prayer evenings, and an intense participation of young, religious and lay people in the service of pilgrims. The basilica thus becomes a "spiritual heart" of the city, renewing every year the consecration of Santa Fe to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Link to the Rosary

It does not contain, in the accessible documentation, a specific and own practice of this advocation that links it exclusively to the prayer of the Rosary (for example, a historical fellowship of the Rosary strictly linked to Guadalupe de Santa Fe, or a particular form of local rosary). However, the Rosary occupies a central place in the life of the sanctuary and in the pilgrimages, as in most of the great Marian centers of Latin America.

In Guadalupana spirituality, the Rosary is understood as a way of contemplation of the mysteries of Christ with the eyes of Marywho helps to live the message of closeness, comfort and mission that the Virgin of Guadalupe addresses to her children. In the context of Santa Fe, the prayer of the Rosary accompanies novies, vigil, processions and moments of worship in the basilica, supporting the faith of the pilgrims and allowing, in the style of St. John Diego, the faithful "to put his heart" in the hands of the Mother of Guadalupe, Mother and patron of the Holy Church.