Our Lady of Hope venerated in the church of La Ermita in Cali

Patron Saint of Cali

On the advocation of Our Lady of Hope venerated in the church of La Ermita de Cali There are almost no data published in an accessible way from official or academic sources. The general sources on the Virgin of Hope indicate that it is a widespread advocation, linked to the theological virtue of hope and, in many places, to the ancient feast of the Expectation of Mary's birth o Virgin of the O, established liturgical in the 10th Council of Toledo (656) for December 18. These sources mention communities in Latin America (including a parish in Cali) where Our Lady of Hope is venerated as a protector, but do not offer specific historical details of the image of La Ermita.

Main data

Origin and history

On the advocation of Our Lady of Hope venerated in the church of La Ermita de Cali There are almost no data published in an accessible way from official or academic sources. The general sources on the Virgin of Hope indicate that it is a widespread advocation, linked to the theological virtue of hope and, in many places, to the ancient feast of the Expectation of Mary's birth o Virgin of the O, established liturgical in the 10th Council of Toledo (656) for December 18. These sources mention communities in Latin America (including a parish in Cali) where Our Lady of Hope is venerated as a protector, but do not offer specific historical details of the image of La Ermita.

According to the local tradition (collected in oral chronicles and informative reviews, but not in accessible ecclesial documents), the image of Our Lady of Hope in La Ermita would have been rescued from the rubble after the earthquake that affected Cali in 1925since then, becoming a symbol of the protection of the Virgin over the city and a spiritual emblem of the historic center of the country. About this "rescue" tradition after the earthquake no diocesan documents or published historical studies have been found in the sources consulted to confirm it critically.and therefore must be considered, rigorously, as a data of local tradition and not of documented history (there is no documentary confirmation).

As for the documented historythe sources do allow to identify the Iglesia de La Ermita as one of the most significant temples in the historic center of Cali, reconstructed in a neo-Gothic style in the 20th century on a previous hermitage, but the available texts hardly detail the concrete asvocations of the interior images and their provenance. In the Marian encyclopedia and the general Catholic portals consulted, no specific monograph appears on the advocation "Our Lady of Hope of La Ermita de Cali", so many concrete historical data (author of the image, exact year of arrival at the temple, precise circumstances of the earthquake and of the rescue) no constan in the documentation available online.

The image and the sanctuary

The open sources consulted do not provide a complete technical description of the concrete image of Our Lady of Hope venerated in La Ermita de Cali (type of size, material, author or date). In the case of a dress up image (with textile flakes) or of a full size in wood, or if it adopts the classical iconography of the "Virgin of Hope" as Maria gravida (pregnant), spread in many places of Hispanic tradition. There are also no verifiable data on recent restorations or specific interventions made to this particular image. Therefore, from a critical point of view, does not contain a detailed, reliable and documented iconographic description of this advocation in La Ermita.

However, there is more information about the temple where it is venerated, the known Iglesia de La Ermita Cali. The historical sources on the city describe La Ermita as a neo-Gothic-style church, raised or deeply rebuilt in the 20th century, which has become one of the architectural and religious icons of the historic center of Caleño (not only because of its cultural function, but also because of its heritage and tourist value). It is usually identified as “Iglesia de La Ermita” or "Church of Our Lady of the Merced / La Ermita" according to the chronicles, but in the sources consulted no consta that the temple has the canon title of minor basilica ni de Nacional or diocesan sanctuary; appears more like a urban parish of great historical and devotional importance (there is no formal elevation to sanctuary in the accessible documents).

Sponsorship and coronation

On patronazgo of this specific advocation in La Ermita de Cali, the general sources on the Virgin of Hope point out that in various parts of the world this advocation has been declared patron of cities or municipalities (for example, Logroño and Pontevedra in Spain). However, no official documentation has been found to declare the "Our Lady of Hope venerated in La Ermita de Cali" patron of the city of Cali, the department of the Valle del Cauca or the archdiocese of Cali. In the sources consulted, it is only stated that in America there are parishes under this advocation (a "Our Lady of Hope" is quoted in Cali), but without detailing a canonically proclaimed patronage. So, from documentary rigor, no consta a patronazgo oficial of this image as the main patron of the city or of the diocese.

With regard to a possible canonical coronationthe diocesan sources and the Marian repertory consulted usually collect in detail pontifical or significant canonical coronations; however, no reference appears to a documented canonical coronation of Our Lady of Hope of La Ermita de Cali. Nor has mention been found of a coronation decree issued by the Holy See or by the diocesan authority. Accordingly, according to the available data, it should be clearly stated: does not contain a documented canonical coronation for this specific advocation.

Party and devotion

A nivel universal, the liturgical feast linked to the Virgin of Hope / Virgin of O / Expectation of the birth of Mary the 18 December, established by the 10th Council of Toledo (year 656), and is linked to the meditation of the mystery of Mary's motherhood in the last days of Advent. It is very likely, by liturgical analogy, that in communities where the Virgin is venerated under the title "Hope" this date will be celebrated with special solemnity; however, in the specific case of La Ersta de Calithe available sources do not explicitly indicate the local party day of its own of the image and the degree of its celebration (parochial, novena, procession, etc.), so that, with rigour, it is necessary to indicate: the specific date of the main party in La Ermita is not recorded in the documentation consulted..

The chronicles and testimonies of a divulgative character about Cali often highlight the devotional importance of La Ermita as a temple very visited by faithful and tourists, where they come to ask for the intercession of the Virgin under various calls. In this context, even without verifiable quantitative flow data, it can be said that the Marian devotion in La Ermita is part of the daily religious fabric of the historical center of the citywith regular participation of the faithful in the Eucharist, novenas, prayers and acts of popular piety. With regard to concrete customs around Our Lady of Hope (own processions, specific promises, mass pilgrimages), the sources consulted do not provide accurate informationand so it is not possible to describe, with historical guarantee, more detailed local devotional features.

Link to the Rosary

Sources consulted on the Virgin of Hope focus on their relationship with the time of Advent and expected delivery of Mary, not to mention expressly a particular link of the advocation of La Ermita de Cali with the rezo of the Holy Rosary. There are, for example, no specific co-fradies of the Rosary attached to this image, no particular indulgences linked to the prayer of the Rosary before it, nor canonically recognized practices that exclusively link this specific advocation with the Rosary. Therefore, from the documentary point of view, it must be stated: there is no specific and specific relationship of the advocation d