Our Lady of the Mercedes of Cali, also called La Merced, a founding vocation of Santiago de Cali

Marian title of Cali (Valle del Cauca)

La advocación de Our Lady of Mercy o de la Merced is inserted in the spirituality of the world, linked from the Middle Ages to mercy and the redemption of captives. The general tradition of this advocation places its spread from the 13th century, in relation to the Order of the Merced and its liberating charism; its liturgical feast is celebrated September 24.

Main data

Origin and history

La advocación de Our Lady of Mercy o de la Merced is inserted in the spirituality of the world, linked from the Middle Ages to mercy and the redemption of captives. The general tradition of this advocation places its spread from the 13th century, in relation to the Order of the Merced and its liberating charism; its liturgical feast is celebrated September 24.

En Santiago de Calilocal tradition recognizes it as Founding of the city and as the principal patron. The historiography disseminated by divulgative and ecclesial sources identifies the La Merced as the first temple of the city and the oldest colonial set preserved, although the information available here does not contain a complete documentary chronology of its early origins or a detailed official narrative of foundation.

As in several ancient shrines in Latin America, local devotional memory blends tradition, popular piety and urban history. In the case of Caleño, the most solid documented certainty is the survival of Marian devotion in the temple of La Merced and its status as a religious and historical reference for the city.

The image and the sanctuary

A safe and complete technical description of the venerated image in Cali - precise type, material, author or iconography - so that data should be as no consta.

The cult focuses on the temple of Our Lady of the Merced, known simply as La Merced, identified as first temple of Santiago de Cali and as part of the oldest colonial ensemble of the city. In accessible sources it is not safe to have the title of minor basilica, National sanctuary o diocesan sanctuary; it should be indicated by caution: no consta.

Sponsorship and coronation

Our Lady of Mercedes is recognized as head of Santiago de Cali and also as a patron of Prison and prison system in Colombia.

In the sources consulted does not contain a documented canonical coronation for this advocation in Cali.

Party and devotion

La main party of Our Lady of the Market is celebrated the September 24.

In Cali, devotion is expressed around the temple of La Merced as a place of religious and urban memory, with special meaning for the identity of the city. The revised sources do not have reliable data on afluencia, mass pilgrimages o specific popular traditions of this Chalean advocation, so those points must remain as no consta.

Link to the Rosary

In the sources consulted no consta a specific historical link between this Chalean advocation and a particular rosarian practice.

However, the Rosary It naturally accompanies all Marian devotion because it orders the contemplation of the mysteries of Christ with Mary, and therefore it fits in a very proper way with an advocation entitled to mercy and maternal intercession.