Our Lady of the Rosary of Antigua, venerated in the temple of Santo Domingo of Antigua Guatemala; the historical cradle of devotion to the Rosary that would become national patron. October 7th party.

Marian devotion of Antigua Guatemala (Sacatepéquez)

No accessible online sources have been found to document specifically and differently the advocation "Our Lady of the Rosary of Old" venerated in the temple of Santo Domingo de La Antigua Guatemala, in the department of Sacatepéquez (Colombia); all indicates that it is a local projection of the general advocation of Our Lady of the Rosaryand held on 7 October.

Main data

Origin and history

No accessible online sources have been found to document specifically and differently the advocation "Our Lady of the Rosary of Old" venerated in the temple of Santo Domingo de La Antigua Guatemala, in the department of Sacatepéquez (Colombia); all indicates that it is a local projection of the general advocation of Our Lady of the Rosaryand held on 7 October.

La devoción al Rosario was born in the Middle Ages and is consolidated after the battle of Lepanto; Pope Pius V instituted in 1573 the feast of Our Lady of the Victories, later called Our Lady of the Rosary, established today on October 7. In America, the Dominicans extended devotion to the Virgin of the Rosary in numerous temples and co-fradies since the 16th century. In Guatemala (Republic of Guatemala), the old and famous image of Our Lady of the Rosary of the temple of Santo Domingo of the city of Santiago de Guatemala (today Antigua Guatemala), declared in 1651 "Queen and Patron of the City of Santiago de Guatemala and Advocate against the Earthquakes," later recognized as national patron and canonically crowned in 1934. These references, however, correspond to Guatemala (país), no a Colombia.

TRADITION / LEYENDA (applicable to the advocation of the Rosary in general): numerous pious narrations reflect the tradition of to the Holy Sunday of Guzmán about 1208 in Prouille (France), giving him the Rosary as a spiritual weapon for the conversion of heretics. This story is part of the devotional tradition, widely spread in preaching and art, but historical studies emphasize that there is no contemporary documentation that confirms it with critical rigor.

HISTORIA DOCUMENTADA: is firmly attested that the devoción al Rosario and the institutionalization of his feast take place especially between the 15th and 16th centuries, with the action of the Dominicans and the support of the Pontifical Magisterium, culminating in the liturgical fixation of 7 October as a memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Most Holy Rosary for the whole Catholic Church. No verifiable historical data on canonical erection, own title or particular historical development of an advocation under the precise name "Our Lady of the Rosary of Antigua" have been found in Sacatepéquez, Colombia; therefore, as regards this particular place, no specific historical details are recorded in verifiable online sources.

The image and the sanctuary

On the concrete image venerated in the temple of Santo Domingo de La Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepéquez (Colombia)no documented descriptions (type of size, material, particular iconography) are available in the sources consulted; therefore, no consta with certainty its typology and specific artistic characteristics.

However, the existence of a image of Our Lady of the Rosary in the temple of Santo Domingo of the city of Santiago de Guatemala (today Antigua Guatemala, in the present Republic of Guatemala)with more than four centuries of history, very venerated and associated with Dominican preaching and defense against earthquakes. This Guatemalan image is a size of dress, richly decorated, found in the historical temple of Santo Domingothe important Dominican sanctuary in the region; however, this information corresponds to Guatemala and not to a homonymous town in Colombia.

Concerning sanctuary or temple in Sacatepéquez (Colombia), it can only be stated, according to the statement, that it is a temple of Santo Domingo in a town called La Antigua Guatemala inside that department. No reliable information has been found to recognize it as minor basilica, national or diocesan sanctuaryor detailed architectural descriptions; therefore, as regards their canonical range and their constructive or artistic characteristics, no consta in the sources consulted.

Sponsorship and coronation

In the documents available, no consta explicitly that the title "Our Lady of the Rosary of Antigua," in Sacatepéquez (Colombia), has received a own canonical patronage (city, municipality, diocese or nation) formally recognized by ecclesiastical decree.

La Our Lady of the Rosary, as a general advocation, patron of the Order of Preachers (Dominican) and has been proclaimed patron of various dioceses, cities and nations in the world. In the Guatemalan context (Republic of Guatemala), the Virgin of the Rosary of the temple of Santo Domingo de Santiago de Guatemala was declared in 1651 "Queen and Patron of the City of Santiago de Guatemala and Advocate against the earthquakes," and later "Queen of Guatemala"; the image was canonically crowned 28 January 1934with the permission of the Pope Pío XIby Archbishop Luis Durou and Sure, in a solemn public ceremony. These data, again, correspond to the Guatemalan image, not to Colombia.

For the advocation located in Sacatepéquez (Colombia), does not contain a documented canonical coronationnor have self-governing decrees been found in accessible sources.

Party and devotion

La main party of Our Lady of the Rosary, recognized by the universal Church and also associated with this advocation, the 7 October. This day the liturgy commemorates the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Most Holy Rosaryand in many places is celebrated with solemnity, processions and community prayers of the Rosary.

In most of the Dominican temples and parishes under this title, the month of October, traditionally consecrated to the prayer of the Rosary, is characterized by Novies, processions, solemn rosaries, vigil and local pilgrimages. However, for the specific temple of Santo Domingo de La Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepéquez (Colombia), no specific data on the influx of the faithful, number of pilgrims or their own traditions (such as major processions, typical offerings or regional promises) in the sources consulted.

It can be said with certainty, by the very nature of the advocation, that the popular devotion revolves around the Rosary's prayerthe participation in the Eucharist of October 7 and the usual practices of Marian piety (novena, flowers, traditional songs). But beyond this general framework, there are no specific verifiable local details for Sacatepéquez (Colombia).

Link to the Rosary

La advocación de Our Lady of the Rosary is intrinsically linked to rezo of the Holy Rosary, both for its historical origin and for its liturgical configuration. The feast of October 7, the usual iconography of the Virgin with the Child Jesus and the rosary in hand, and the sponsorship on the Order of Preachers make any sanctuary under this title conceived of her as a privileged place for the promotion of this prayer.

Although no rules or statutes of the Santo Domingo shrine of Antigua Guatemala have been found, Sacatepéquez (Colombia), it is reasonable to state, in continuity with the Dominican tradition, that the devotional life around this image feeds on the frequent prayer of the Rosarythe meditation of the mysteries of Christ's life with Mary and the intercession for personal and community needs. Where Mary is invoked as Lady of the Rosary, the Rosary usually becomes:

– una contemplation school de los misterios de Cristo, siguiendo a María; – un way of intercession and supplication por la paz, la familia y la conversión; – un lazo de Community unit, when the