Our Lady of the Star

"Stella Maris," the star leading to the port

Under the title of the Star, Mary is invoked in Spain in several shrines as the light that guides the walker. The name evokes the Stella Maris - Star of the Sea - and to Stella Matutina of the litany: the one that precedes the sun and proclaims Christ.

Origin and history

The title "of the Star" is born not from a single sanctuary, but from the same spiritual intuition spread throughout the Spanish geography: Mary as a guiding star. Among the best known sanctuaries are the Our Lady of the Star in the Saints of Maimona (Badajoz), whose building dates back to the end of the 13th century with subsequent additions; Sanctuary of Santa Maria de la Estrella in San Asensio (La Rioja), a former 15th century Jerome monastery - today a house of spirituality of the Brothers of La Salle -; and the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Star in Mosqueruela (Teruel).

In several of these places the pious tradition speaks of the finding of an image of the Virgin - for example, in San Asensio, on an oak - as the origin of devotion, while the documented history focuses on the temples and monasteries that have guarded it over the centuries. In all, the name refers to Mary's ancient liturgical invocation as a luminous guide to those who seek God.

Under the title "of the Star" there are several shrines with their own stories. The data of patronage, coronation and exact date of feast vary by location and do not always show in a unified way in the sources; the local calendar of each sanctuary should be consulted.