Our Lady of the New Guatemala Market, venerated in the Church of La Merced

Marian devotion of Guatemala City (Guatemala)

In Guatemala City there is a historic church of Our Lady of the Mercedin the capital area 1, a direct heir to the merchant presence established in the ancient city of Santiago de los Knights (today La Antigua Guatemala) since the colonial era. The spirituality of the Order of the Merced, spread throughout the Hispanic sphere, has closely linked this advocation to the mercy and redemption of the captives, and in the Guatemalan context it is especially associated with the urban life of the capital and its traditional processions of Lent and Patron Feast.

Main data

Origin and history

In Guatemala City there is a historic church of Our Lady of the Mercedin the capital area 1, a direct heir to the merchant presence established in the ancient city of Santiago de los Knights (today La Antigua Guatemala) since the colonial era. The spirituality of the Order of the Merced, spread throughout the Hispanic sphere, has closely linked this advocation to the mercy and redemption of the captives, and in the Guatemalan context it is especially associated with the urban life of the capital and its traditional processions of Lent and Patron Feast.

After the earthquakes of 1773, which led to the transfer of the capital from Antigua Guatemala to the Valle de la Ermita (now Guatemala City), various religious orders, including the Mercedaries, gradually moved their presence and devotions to the new city, giving rise to the present historical temples of the capital center. Within this process the continuity of the cult of Our Lady of the Merced and the development of its famous processions in the surroundings of the merchant church of zone 1, which have become a reference of the popular piety of the capital.

From the perspective of the documented history, it is strongly attested that the advocation of the Merced is celebrated liturgical the September 24 throughout the Spanish area, the date set by the Spanish monarchy and then extended to the diocesan calendars. In Guatemala, the local Church assumes the same date as the Solemnity of the Virgin of the Merced, especially in the temples governed by the Merchant Order.

As regards tradition / legend, Guatemalan popular piety often links the protection of the Virgin of the Merced with moments of social danger, conflicts and situations of captivity or violence, in continuity with the historical charism of the Order of the Merced as "redeemer of captives." These interpretations belong to the devotional and catechetical sphere and are not always based on precise historical documents, but they express the way the faithful people perceive the intercession of Mary under this title.

The image and the sanctuary

In the church of the Mercedaria in area 1 of Guatemala City, an image of Our Lady of the Merced, in the classic line of the merchant representations: the Virgin Mary is covered with the white habit and the scapular of the Order of the Merced, with mantle - usually white or clear - and, in many cases, with crown and signs of spiritual royalty, in line with her condition as Mother of Mercy and protector of the captives. It does not include in the sources consulted, with documentary certainty, the author, la exact date of size, neither material specific of the image currently venerated in the parish of La Merced in Guatemala City; therefore, these data are considered "not recorded."

The temple where this advocation is venerated is commonly known as Church of La Merced, ubicado en la zone 1 of Guatemala City, within the historical centre. It is a church of colonial origin and strong baroque imprint, rebuilt and adapted over time after the transferred and earthquakes that have affected the region. The church is one of the traditional areas of merchant life and popular religiosity in the capital. It is not recorded in the documentation consulted that this temple of La Merced in Guatemala City has the title of minor basilicaor that it has been declared Nacional or diocesan sanctuary in an official manner; therefore, in the absence of a clearly documented decree, such specific legal recognition is "not recorded."

Sponsorship and coronation

La advocación de Our Lady of the Merced He has many patronings in the Hispanic world, including that of several Latin American cities and countries (for example, he is a patron of the Dominican Republic and of various dioceses and armed forces in several countries). In the specific case of Our Lady of the Merced of Guatemala City (Church of La Merced, area 1)is not, in accessible and verifiable sources, a decreto formal that the main patron of the City of Guatemala, of the archdiocese, or of the State of Guatemala as a whole. Therefore, for a specific legal patronage of this image, it should be indicated. “not reported”.

As regards canonical coronationThe data is even more delicate. Canonical coronation is a liturgical-legal act that requires pontifical decree and is usually well documented, either in diocesan bulletins, capitular acts or official chronicles. For the concrete advocation of Our Lady of the Merced venerated in the Church of La Merced in Guatemala Citya clear, safe and verifiable reference to a canonical coronation granted by the Holy See or by pontifical delegate. Accordingly, and in accordance with the established rule, it should be stated: "does not contain a documented canonical coronation".

Party and devotion

La main party of Our Lady of the Merced, both in the general Spanish calendar and in the merchant tradition, the September 24, a date also commonly observed in the merchant temples of Guatemala. Around that day, the solemn Mass and various acts of veneration are organized in the church of La Merced in Guatemala City: ninth high school, community prayers, offerings, processions or tours with the image of the nearby streets, according to the custom of each year. However, the specific details (itineraries, exact number of faithful, modalities of processions) are not accurately described in easily accessible documentary sources; therefore, these data are considered "not to be recorded."

Merchant devotion in Guatemala is inserted in a broader context of strong Marian religiosity, where there are other great claims, such as Our Lady of the Rosary, patron of Guatemala. In this Marian fabric, the Virgin of the Merced is particularly perceived as Mother of mercyprotection in situations of danger, and closely linked to those who suffer any form of "captivity": from poverty and violence to the various contemporary enslavement. The processions and celebrations linked to the church of La Merced, especially in Lent and at the September feast, are among the most rooted expressions of the popular capital piety, although they do not contain precise figures of influx.

Link to the Rosary

It does not contain, in the documentation consulted, a specific or historical relationship of this concrete advocation of Our Lady of the New Guatemala Market with some extraordinary fact linked to prayer of the Rosary (apparitions, miracles or particular institutes of the Rosary). In that strict sense, it must be said that “not reported” a unique and own bond with the Rosary, beyond the usual practice of the Church.

However, in the spiritual life of the Church and in the merchant tradition, the Rosary It occupies an ordinary and deeply rooted place as contemplative Marian prayer. The Virgin of the Merced, as the advocation of Mary, accompanies the faithful in the prayer of the mysteries of Christ: in every decade the mysteries of the Incarnation, the Passion and the Glory are considered, which underlie the redeeming work on which the Order of the Merced has historically participated through the liberation of the captives. Thus, the Rosary prayed for the image of Our Lady of the Merced in the Church of La Merced in Guatemala City becomes a school of mercy: by contemplating with Mary the mysteries of Christ, the faithful are prepared to live the liberating charity and the closeness to those who suffer all kinds of slavery, making this devotion a concrete expression of the spirituality of the merchant.