Our Lady of Candelaria of Quinchao

Marian devotion of Quinchao (Los Lagos)

The historical sources available indicate that the devotion to Our Lady of the Candelaria in Quinchao is within the scope of Chiloé archipelago, Los Lagos region, Chilewhere the island of Quinchao is an important Marian pilgrimage center and the local church is recognized as World Heritage Site for its membership in all the churches of Chiloé, declared by UNESCO. [^ inf] This location corresponds to the country Chilenot with Colombia; there is no ecclesial, historical or civil source that places Quinchao in a "department of Los Lagos" in Colombia.

Main data

Origin and history

The historical sources available indicate that the devotion to Our Lady of the Candelaria in Quinchao is within the scope of Chiloé archipelago, Los Lagos region, Chilewhere the island of Quinchao is an important Marian pilgrimage center and the local church is recognized as World Heritage Site for its membership in all the churches of Chiloé, declared by UNESCO. [^ inf] This location corresponds to the country Chilenot with Colombia; there is no ecclesial, historical or civil source that places Quinchao in a "department of Los Lagos" in Colombia.

As for the specific title "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Quinchao" in Colombia, no consta in official directories of sanctuaries, Colombian dioceses, or in regular repertories of Marian advocations of the country. There are, however, other important sanctuaries dedicated to the Candelaria in Colombia (for example, the Church of Our Lady of the Candelaria in Bogotá y la Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Candelaria in Medellin), but their history and devotion refer to these cities, not to Quinchao.

So from the point of view of the documented history, you can talk rigorously about Our Lady of the Candelaria of Quinchao (Chiloé, Chile) as a great Marian pilgrimage center of the archipelago; instead, no consta historical or documentally an exactly homonymous advocation located in Quinchao, Department of Los Lagos, Colombia.

(Since the consultation requires a distinction between TRADITION / LEYENDA and DOCUMENTADA HISTORY, and there are no verifiable Colombian local traditions associated with "Quinchao," nor is it possible to collect pious legends or stories with guarantees; there is no reliable material at this point.)

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The image and the sanctuary

In relation to Quinchao, Colombia, no consta an official Marian image with the title "Our Lady of the Candelaria of Quinchao" or a sanctuary or temple with that name in the records of the Church in Colombia. The sources instead show well-documented temples of the Candelaria in other cities:

– La Church of Our Lady of the Candelary en Bogotá es un templo colonial situado en el barrio histórico de La Candelaria, dedicado a la Virgen María bajo esta advocación, abierto al culto y con intensa vida litúrgica. – La Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Candelaria in Medellín is a historic temple in the Berrio Park, also dedicated to the Virgin of the Candelaria.

However, none of these churches are related to Quinchao nor with the island of the same name, and they belong to the archdiocese of Bogotá y Medellin, respectively.

About the true sanctuary of Our Lady of Candelaria of Quinchao mentioned in the description (Chiloé's largest wooden church, World Heritage, great pilgrimage center of the archipelago), that temple is located in Isla Quinchao, Chiloe, Chileand not in Colombia. [^ inf] It is not possible to transfer its architectural and canonical characteristics to an alleged Colombian location without incurring historical and geographical error.

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Sponsorship and coronation

– Patronage: Para Quinchao, Colombia, no consta no ecclesiastical decree that officially recognizes "Our Lady of the Candelaria of Quinchao" as patron of a city, municipality, diocese or region of the country. There is a patronage of the Virgin of the Candelaria in other Colombian places (for example, as a patron in certain parishes or cities where the churches of Bogotá or Medellín are already mentioned), but these patronings are not linked to the advocation "of Quinchao."

– Canon coronation: For a specific Marian advocation it is common that, if it exists canonical coronationbe recorded in diocesan documents, in the Pontifical Yearbook or in the chronicles of the sanctuary. In case of Our Lady of the Candelaria of Quinchao in Colombia, does not contain a documented canonical coronationno verifiable reference to year, pontiff or pontifical delegate appears.

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Party and devotion

La liturgical feast of the Presentation of the Lord and Our Lady of the Candelary is celebrated throughout the Church the 2 February, a date that is effectively indicated as a day of patron's feast in many temples dedicated to this advocation. In the Church of the Candelaria in Bogotá, for example, it is celebrated on February 2 as a patron feast of the temple.

Para una hipotética Our Lady of the Candelaria of Quinchao in Colombia, it could be assumed by analogy that the main party would also be on 2 February, but that would be a simple inference; since there is no specific documentation to confirm it, since strict data verification it must be stated: no consta a party of its own or data of pilgrimages, inflow of faithful or popular traditions linked to an apvocation of this title in Quinchao, Colombia.

On the other hand, the description of the consultation - the great Marian pilgrimage center of the archipelago, the patron of the island, the largest wooden church of Chiloé, the Heritage of Human - corresponds to the Chilean reality of the island of Quinchao, where the Candelaria convokes numerous pilgrimages around 2 February; but these data belong to the sanctuary of Quinchao (Chiloe, Chile), no to Colombia.

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Link to the Rosary

There is no specific documentation linking a Colombian advocation called "Our Lady of the Candelaria of Quinchao" with special practices of prayer of the Rosary (for example, canonically erected confriadies of the Rosary under that title, promises or explicitly rosarian pilgrimages). Therefore, from the historical-devotional rigour criterion, it should be indicated: no consta a particular documented link between this advocation, as formulated in the consultation, and the Rosary.

However, in all the shrines and parishes dedicated to the Virgin of the Candelaria - including the well-documented of Bogotá and Medellin - the Holy Rosary It is a regular part of Marian piety: it is prayed in preparation for the Feast of February 2, in novies, processions and days of worship. This practice is part of the Church's tradition, which proposes the Rosary as a "compendium of the Gospel" and a way to contemplate, together with Mary, the mysteries of Christ's life. In the joyful mysteries, for example, the Presentation of the Lord in the Templewhich is at the very base of the feast of the Candelaria, is seen as a bright moment of salvation that the Rosary helps to meditate.

In this way, even if there is a lack of specific documentation on "Our Lady of the Quinchao Candelaria" in Colombia, it can be stated in the theological and spiritual key that the Rosario accompanies and sustains all true devotion to the Virgin of the Candelaria: help