Our Lady of the Candelaria of the Chapel

Marian Invocation of La Capilla (Boyacá)

La advocación de Our Lady of the Candelaria of the Chapel is venerated in the municipality of La Capilla, in the Valley of Tenza, department of Boyacá, Colombia. The parish has the title of Our Lady of the Candelaria and is the center of the religious life of the municipality.

Main data

Origin and history

La advocación de Our Lady of the Candelaria of the Chapel is venerated in the municipality of La Capilla, in the Valley of Tenza, department of Boyacá, Colombia. The parish has the title of Our Lady of the Candelaria and is the center of the religious life of the municipality.

### Tradition and legend

According to Pious local tradition, collected in regional media, there has been a special devotion to the Virgin of the Candelaria in La Capilla since colonial times, associated with the old town and the consolidation of the municipality as a place of passage in the Valley of Tenza. It is mentioned in oral accounts that the Virgin would have protected the people in various difficulties, which would have motivated the configuration of the temple as "sanctuary" marian district, although these data come from tradition and not from formal historical documentation.

♪ documented history ♪

According to the official tourist site of Boyacá (SITURA), the first church of the place was ordered to build by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada in 1577, according to ancient writings; when the Jesuits came they found only a chapel of bahareque and straw. In 1683The Augustan parents reconstructed the church and, after the destruction of the people in 1706Father José Martínez Oviedo raised the temple again that same year. These data testify to the antiquity of the Marian cult in the place, although the sources consulted do not explicitly detail the exact moment when the parish formally assumed the title of Our Lady of the Candelaria and do not describe in detail the historical origin of the local advocation.

The image and the sanctuary

The main parish of the municipality is named after Church (or Parish) of Our Lady of the Candelariain the heart of the Valley of Tenza. A regional outreach video explicitly presents it as "Our Lady of the Candelaria of the Chapel of Boyacá Sanctuary", which reflects their devotional recognition as a Marian sanctuary at the local level. However, the documentation consulted does not show that it has the official title of minor basilica, national sanctuary or diocesan sanctuary recognized by decree; it is only attested to its importance as a parish temple and regional pilgrimage centre.

The open sources available (Boyacá tourism and local network publications) show the temple as a church of simple facades, of colonial-popular Andean style, with bell tower and unique ship, rebuilt and modified over time. No detailed technical descriptions (materials, dimensions, architectural phases) have been found in accessible ecclesial or academic sources.

As for the Marian image, the sources consulted are limited to photographic images in digital media and networks, in which an image of the Virgin of the Candelaria is seen in the main altar or in a prominent altarpiece. From these images, a general iconography is observed consistent with the Candelaria: Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus in arms and presence of candles or light, sign of the Presentation in the Temple, but does not contain in the sources the exact type of image (polychromed package sculpture, wood size, etc.), author, date or execution material. Therefore, no consta an iconographic description and detailed and documented material of the image holder of La Capilla in the sources consulted.

Sponsorship and coronation

Local sources present Our Lady of Candelaria as a patron of Town Hall of La Capilla; the parish and the people themselves are strongly identified with this advocation, which appears as the main reference of religious and cultural identity. In contrast, no explicit statement of diocesan or departmental patronage has been found in official sources of the Church or the administration.

As for the canonical coronationin the open documentation consulted (Boyacá tourism, local publications and social networks of religious promotion) does not contain a documented canonical coronation of the image of Our Lady of the Candelaria of La Capilla, no date, decree or pontifical delegate linked to an act of solenne coronation are mentioned.

Party and devotion

La fiesta litúrgica de la Presentation of the Lord and Purification of the Virgin Maryin the universal Church, the 2 February, and that date is the main feast of Our Lady of the Candelaria also in The Chapel. The local audiovisual testimonies speak of the parish and the "sanctuary" in relation to the Virgin of the Candelaria, which indicates that on February 2 solemn celebrations are organized with the participation of the community of the municipality and devotees of neighbouring populations of the Valley of Tenza.

Regional sources describe La Capilla as a municipality of strong religious tradition, where the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria occupies the centre of social and festive life. Although no precise figures of influx are provided, there are mention of parish activities, bazares and community meetings linked to the life of the church, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, which reflect a deep and constant devotion in time. It is reasonable to assume, from the general praxis of the festival of the Candelaria in Colombia, that the celebration includes processions with the image, blessing of candelas and possibly cultural fairs and events; however, the sources consulted do not describe in detail the specific ritual program of La Capilla, so that the concrete elements of the local celebration no documentally.

Link to the Rosary

No explicit reference to a of the Rosary nor a particular practice of the prayer of the Rosary specifically linked to the advocation of Our Lady of the Candelaria of the Chapel. Therefore, no consta a rosarian tradition of its own and differentiated in a documented manner associated with this sanctuary.

However, in the Marian spirituality of the Church, the Rosary It occupies a privileged place as meditation of the mysteries of Christ's life in the company of the Virgin Mary. In the specific case of the Candelaria, the mystery that inspires this advocation is that of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, traditionally seen in the joyful mysteries. The prayer of the Rosary, especially in meditating on the fourth joyful mystery, allows us to unite devotion to Our Lady of the Candelaria with the contemplation of Christ as "light to light the nations," in deep harmony with the symbolism of the blessed candelas on February 2. In this way, even if there is no record of rosarian practices specific to The Chapel, the Rosary presents itself as an ordinary and fruitful way to feed devotion to the Virgin of the Candelaria and to integrate the popular piety of the sanctuary into the Marian prayer of the whole Church.