Our Lady of Mercy of Quito, venerated in the Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy

Marian devotion of Quito (Pichincha)

In the general context of the advocation, the feast of Our Lady of the Merced se celebra el September 24in memory of the foundation of the Order of the Market for the redemption of captives in the 13th century. This devotion arrived early in America with the merchants and spread widely in the main cities of the virreate.

Main data

Origin and history

In the general context of the advocation, the feast of Our Lady of the Merced se celebra el September 24in memory of the foundation of the Order of the Market for the redemption of captives in the 13th century. This devotion arrived early in America with the merchants and spread widely in the main cities of the virreate.

According to the tradition collected in sources of commercial and devotional dissemination, the venerated image in Quito would have been one of the first Marian images in the city and was so venerated that the civil lobby came to recognize it symbolically as "Founder, Neighbor, First Colona and Protector of the City." Many miraculous interventions were attributed to him, especially in earthquakes y volcanic eruptions, which was worth the popular titles of "Virgin of the Earthquake" y “Virgen del Volcán”. It was also traditionally considered protective in the of Ecuadorespecially in the battle of Pichincha (1822), where it is said that General Sucre entrusted his troops to the Virgin and, obtained victory, gave his sword to Our Lady of the Merced. These accounts belong to the Pious tradition and of popular historical memory; not all its details can be accurately documented.

In the plan of the documented history, various sources point out that devotion to Our Lady of the Merced has been present in Ecuador since colonial times and that his worship was strengthened by civil and ecclesiastical decrees over the centuries. At the national level, 1860after the victory in the battle of Guayaquil, the Virgin of the Merced was proclaimed "Queen, Patron and Advocate of Ecuador and its Weapons"; en 1861a decree declared it "Pattern and Special Protector of the Republic and the Armed Forces"; y en 1963, la Junta Militar la proclamó "Patron and Generalísima of the Armed Forces". Subsequently, 1970The pope. San Pablo VI declared it Main patron of the Archdiocese of Guayaquil and the other dioceses of Ecuador. These statements show the historical and religious weight of the advocation in the country, within which the ancient Quiteña devotion is inscribed.

The image and the sanctuary

The sources consulted on Ecuadorian devotion to the Merced indicate that a very old image, of great historical prestige, is venerated in Quito, but do not specify with technical clarity, verifiable, the exact type of sculpture (package, relief), its precise material and all its iconographic characteristics. A news site describes it, in the context of Ecuador, as an image carved in volcanic rock of the Pichincha volcano, venerated since 1747 in its own basilica in the historical center of Quito, although this data comes from non-official material and of a divulgative nature, therefore cannot be presented as fully true without reservations. In the absence of confirmation from official sources (archdiocese, sanctuary, academic documentation), it must be said with caution that does not record with documented certainty the material and exact date of execution. In any case, it is a representation of the Virgin Mary under the title of the Merced, traditionally associated with merchant iconography (mantle, habit or symbolism of mercy and protection), although the specific details of crown, attributes and symbols are not accurately described in the sources consulted.

The temple where this advocation is venerated in Quito is known as Church or Basilica of Our Lady of the Merced, located in the historic center of the city. It is linked to the merchant presence and is part of the set of colonial churches of Quito; the sources of dissemination describe it as una basílica with a characteristic Mudejar tower, very representative of the traditional urban profile, although the sources consulted do not require the title of “smaller basilica” granted by the Holy See. Therefore, in the absence of explicit confirmation from the Holy See or the archdiocese, it is not contained in a secure documental way su canon rango de “basílica minor”, although it is commonly referred to as "basilica" in devotional and cultural texts. It is true that devotion to the Merced in Ecuador is deeply rooted in Quito and that this merchant temple is one of the traditional centers of that cult.

Sponsorship and coronation

At the general level, Our Lady of the Merced is a patron of many cities and ecclesial and civil realities in the Hispanic world. In the specific case of Ecuador, Catholic press and news sources point to several titles of patronage: Patrona de Quito (province de Pichincha)and Patronage of the Ecumenical Litoral, Patrona y Generalísima de las Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador y Patroness and Protector of Ecuadorian Prisons. In addition, as has been indicated, in 1970 the pope San Pablo VI declared it Principal patron of the Archdiocese of Guayaquil and the other dioceses of Ecuador. These patterns refer to the of the Merced in Ecuador, of which the venerated image in Quito is the main historical reference.

On the canonical coronation, the sources consulted (Catholic press, lists of patronings, pages of merchant spirituality and Wikipedia) do not provide a clear and verifiable data of Year, Pontifical Decree or Papal Delegate of a specific coronation of the image of Our Lady of the Quito Market. Despite the importance of the image and the dissemination of its worship, does not contain a documented canonical coronation with the required data (date and ecclesiastical authority) for this particular image.

Party and devotion

La fiesta litúrgica de Our Lady of the Merced is celebrated throughout the Church the September 24. This date is lived with particular solemnity in Ecuador, where the Virgin of the Merced is remembered as a protector of the country and its armed forces. Various devotional testimonies point out that the Ecuadorian people invoke it "from colonial time to today" and that their feast brings together many faithful. However, the accessible sources do not provide any specific influx figures for the temple of Quito or a quantitative detail of the pilgrimages.

On the popular level, the Virgin of the Merced is especially venerated as natural disasters, en particular earthquakes y eruptions of the Pichincha volcanoand how in situations of danger and conflictincluding wars of independence and other national strife. Tradition presents it as "Queen, Patron and Advocate of Ecuador and its Weapons"and keep accounts of processions and acts of thanksgiving for victory