Our Lady of the Mercedes de Latacunga

Marian Advocation of Latacunga (Cotopaxi)

Documented history. The devotion to the Virgin of the Mercedes in Latacunga dates back to at least the 18th century. A historical study on the holiday of the Virgin of the Merced in Latacunga indicates that the oldest reference to religious celebrations dates from 1742, when, in the face of the intense activity of the Cotopaxi volcano, the inhabitants took out in procession the image of the Virgin to implore her protection. Since then, the conviction of the Virgin of the Mercedes has been consolidated as protection from Latacunga against the threats of the volcano.

Main data

Origin and history

Documented history. The devotion to the Virgin of the Mercedes in Latacunga dates back to at least the 18th century. A historical study on the holiday of the Virgin of the Merced in Latacunga indicates that the oldest reference to religious celebrations dates from 1742, when, in the face of the intense activity of the Cotopaxi volcano, the inhabitants took out in procession the image of the Virgin to implore her protection. Since then, the conviction of the Virgin of the Mercedes has been consolidated as protection from Latacunga against the threats of the volcano.

With the passage of time, the commemoration of September 24 was set as the central date of the religious and procedural celebration in honor of the Virgin of the Merced in Latacunga. To this celebration was gradually added a festive and mixed component, from which would emerge the today famous feast of the Black Momwhich, although it incorporates elements of folklore and even pagan character, is set up as an expression of gratitude to the Virgin for the favors and protection granted to the city. In 2005, the holiday (with its mixed dimension of the Black Mother) was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador.

Tradition and legend. Local tradition reminds the Virgin of Mercedes as Patrona against the fury of the Botopaxi volcanowhich would have miraculously delivered the population from major disasters in various eruptions over the centuries. A very living memory refers that more than 250 years ago the city was preserved from a greater destruction by intercession of the Virgin, which strengthened its patronage. It also recalls a tragedy linked to the activity of the volcano towards the end of the 19th century, with hundreds of victims, which caused a displacement of the feast to December in memory of the deceased; later, in 1945 the Virgin of the Mercedes was officially proclaimed as "Patron against the Fury of Volcano". These references belong to the field of the pious tradition supported by local historical memory, but without all the systematically verified documentary details each year.

The image and the sanctuary

The image. In Latacunga an image of Our Lady of Mercy of a traditional kind of merchant, which presents the Virgin with white attire characteristic of this advocation. Although the available online sources do not detail the material or the size dating, the iconography spread shows the Virgin in front position, with Child Jesus and attributes specific to the Virgin of the Merced (white dress, mantle and regious elements), constituting a devotional and identity reference for the city. A safe technical description (wood, author, century) of the image is not included in the sources consulted, so these data are considered to be "unrecorded."

The sanctuary / temple. The image is venerated in the iglesia de La Merced de Latacunga, in the city center. The local chronicles and the audiovisual transmissions of the pilgrimage point to this temple as the starting point and reference of the main manifestations of faith. No official sources have been found to indicate that the temple has the title of minor basilica It is formally established as National sanctuary; therefore for the purposes of specific canonical titles beyond parish / church, no consta.

The temple of La Merced is integrated into the historical and cultural fabric of Latacunga as one of its main religious references, from which the pilgrim image on certain dates through the streets of the city, especially in September.

Sponsorship and coronation

Patronage. According to the general article on the Virgin of the Merced, the title of Our Lady of the Mercedes is patron of the Botopaxi volcano and the city of Latacunga the Republic of Ecuador. This patron status is part of a list of patronings widely recognized in the Hispanic field and is also supported by local tradition and devotional practice, which invokes it as a protector against volcanic activity.

Canon coronation. In the sources consulted (academic documentation on the feast, encyclopedic synthesis and press releases or religious dissemination) does not contain a documented canonical coronation of the image of Our Lady of the Mercedes of Latacunga, no safe reference to date, decree or pontifical delegate for such rite has been found.

Party and devotion

Date of the main party. The liturgical feast of the Virgin of the Merced in the universal Church is celebrated September 24, and this date has been assumed as the main day of celebration in Latacunga. The historical study indicates that, after the procession of 1742, it was established that every 24 September the procession would be repeated in honor of the Virgin with great devotion. In addition, it is noted that the local holiday has two bodies: one in September (more directly religious and processional) and one in November, more linked to the folklore expression of the Black Mom.

Pilgrimage and manifestations of devotion. The devotion to the Virgin of the Mercedes mobilizes the miles de fieles in Latacunga. An audiovisual report shows a pilgrimage in which, for almost seven hours, crowds accompany the image through the streets of the city, in a climate of prayer, songs and tributes to the patron. The municipality and local cultural organizations emphasize that in these holidays the inhabitants pay tribute to the Virgin of the Mercedes as an expression of appreciation for the favors received and the protection granted to the city. The "loas" (oral compositions of praise), dances, comparisons and parades are integrated into a framework where the religious and the popular are found, keeping the figure of the Virgin as the center.

The mixed party of the Black Mom - declared the Inmaterial Cultural Heritage of the Equator - is part of this devotional fabric: although it has synthetic elements, it is traditionally oriented as an act of thanks to the Virgin of the Mercedes for the preservation of the city in the face of volcanic eruptions. In this way, Marian devotion is surrounded by cultural expressions that, from the perspective of popular piety, seek to honor the Mother of God under this vocation.

Link to the Rosary

The sources consulted about Our Lady of the Mercedes de Latacunga are concentrated in their role of patron of the city and the Botopaxi volcanoat the feast of the Black Mother, the processions and cultural recognition of the holiday. No explicit, formal or documented reference to a specific practice of the Rosary prayer uniquely linked to this advocation in Latacunga (for example, co-fradies of the Rosary of this temple, promises of collective rosaries or specific Marian titles related to the Rosary). Therefore, no consta a particular link with the Rosary beyond general practices of Marian piety.

However, in