Marian devotion
Our Lady of El Cisne
"La Churona" · Reina de Loja (Ecuador)
From the village of El Cisne, in the Loja mountain range, "La Churona" travels every year to the city of Loja on one of the most massive Marian pilgrimages in Ecuador.
Origin and history
The image, attributed to the Chilean sculptor Diego de Robles (16th century) - the same as the Virgin of the Quinche - is venerated in El Cisne, in the province of Loja. The devotion, deeply rooted among the peasants, spread through southern Ecuador and northern Peru; it is popularly called "La Churona" by its curly hair.
Each year, the image comes on pilgrimage from El Cisne to the city of Loja (around 15 August), where it remains until its return in November, accompanied by crowds. In 1927 his decree of canonical coronation was issued, and in 1980 John Paul II raised the sanctuary to a minor basilica.
Documented update: sanctuary and rosemary
The National Shrine of El Cisne maintains an institutional site that presents its history, devotional manifestations and pastoral services, and the Diocese of Loja describes the Romeria as a route of approximately 72 kilometres from El Cisne to Loja. The diocesan source places the journey in several days and distinguishes the religious and cultural celebration from any extraordinary statement that is not reflected in a formal pronunciation.
The municipal information of Loja documents that the present temple was built between 1934 and 1978 and that it venerated an image of cedar attributed to Diego de Robles, from the end of the 16th century. It also records the feast of the parish and the pilgrimage of the image to Loja. These data complete the institutional history and popular reception without presenting as a proven fact what sources only express as tradition.
The map uses the building point of the National Catholic Sanctuary Our Lady of El Cisne in OpenStreetMap: -3.8509, -79.4265. The file retains its published content and receives only this documented extension and the cartographic metadata.
Sources of this update
- National Sanctuary of El Cisne: history, pastoral and news.
- Diocese of Loja: Romeria of the Virgin of El Cisne.
- Municipality of Loja: historical and geographical data of El Cisne.
- OpenStreetMap: Basílica de El Cisne.
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