Our Lady of the Candelaria of the Help of Huanchaco, venerated in the Shrine of the Candelaria of the Help of Huanchaco

Marian Invocation of Huanchaco (La Libertad)

According to the the oldest tradition of Huanchaco, the image of Our Lady of the Relief Candelary would have arrived by sea and "landed" in the port the 2 February 1537, being considered the primera imagen mariana llegada al Perú. This same tradition links from the beginning its presence to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the Purification of Marywhere the title "Candelaria" comes from.

Main data

Origin and history

According to the the oldest tradition of Huanchaco, the image of Our Lady of the Relief Candelary would have arrived by sea and "landed" in the port the 2 February 1537, being considered the primera imagen mariana llegada al Perú. This same tradition links from the beginning its presence to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the Purification of Marywhere the title "Candelaria" comes from.

In the plan of the documented history, consta que el Sanctuary of Our Lady Candelaria of the Help of Huanchaco was founded on 1540, date that appears in the official description of this temple as one of the oldest Marian shrines on the northern Peruvian coast. Devotion is clearly attested from the 17th centurywhen, in the face of a bubonic plague and a plague of insects affecting Trujillo, the Virgin of the Help of Huanchaco was used and the intercession was attributed to her in the cessation of these evils. The fruit of this fact, the 13 December 1681, the Church Cabildo and the City Council of Trujillo issued a vote and oath which gave rise to the five-year rostery of the image to the city.

Over more than four centuries, the Virgin Candelaria of Relief has been recognized as patron and protector of the village of Huanchaco, accompanying its history from its origins as a small fishing village to its current condition as an important spa in the province of Trujillo. Recent documents and testimonies emphasize their character as "historical and miraculous image" and the continuous continuity of their veneration.

> Geographical note: the title described here belongs to the Huanchaco district, Trujillo province, La Libertad department, Peru. No reliable reference has been found to the place in Colombia.

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The image and the sanctuary

The sources present it as a "Real image" historical and miraculous, venerated under the title of Our Lady of the Candelaria of Huanchaco Relief. Se trata de una imagen de Virgin with the Child, of majestic bearing, in an attitude of dialogue with his Son, according to the traditional devotional description. By its title "Candelaria," it is represented liturgical and processionally associated with the mystery of the Presentation of the Lord and light of the candelas, although the sources consulted do not specify the material (polychrome wood or other) and all iconographic elements (candle, candela, etc.); therefore, on these points no consta specific and documented description.

The image is venerated in the Sanctuary of Our Lady Candelaria of the Help of Huanchaco, also referred to as Sanctuary of Our Lady of Relief - Huanchaco. This temple, founded in 1540, stands out as one of the oldest churches in the area and as a custodian of which tradition considers the primera imagen mariana llegada al Perú (1537). It is located in the heart of the Huanchaco spa and is described by the local municipality as a religious, historical and cultural symbol of the districta point of reference for both the faithful and visitors.

In a recent ecclesial transmission, the sanctuary has been presented as "jubilar santuario" who keeps the sacred image of the Virgin Candelaria del Socorro, highlighting its importance within the pastoral life of the archdiocese of Trujillo. However, the available documentation does not include the title of minor basilicanor an explicit declaration of "national sanctuary"; therefore, in strict terms, it can be said that this is a Marian sanctuary of diocesan ambitionwithout a specific pontifical recognition as a basilica.

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Sponsorship and coronation

The Virgin Candelaria of Relief is recognized as head of the district of Huanchaco and as a special protector of the city of Trujillo, which assigns his help to him in the plague of 1674 and in other moments of need. The festival is the main religious event of the district and one of the most significant in the province of Trujillo. The civil and ecclesiastical authorities repeatedly highlight the role of the Virgin as Identity contact of the Huanchaquero people.

As for the canonical coronationthe image has received this ecclesial recognition. A specialized Marian chronicle points out that the historic Real Image of Our Lady Candelaria of Huanchaco's Relief received the privilege of his canonical coronation on December 8but does not specify the year in the fragment consulted. Since the open sources examined do not indicate the exact date ni el name of the Pontiff or Pontifical Delegate which performed the act, and in order not to attribute data that are not clearly documented, must be stated: the year and the delegate of the canonical coronation are not safe in accessible sources.

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Party and devotion

La main party The 2 Februaryin line with the liturgy of the Feast of the Lord's Presentation and traditional Candelaria. A wide religious programme is being developed around this date: novies, solemn masses, processions and acts of popular piety organized by the parish, the brotherhood and the people of Huanchaco.

The distinctive feature of this advocation is the 5-year-old, popularly known as the "Party of the Huanchaquito" or "five-year down"in which the Virgin descends from her shrimp and is taken in procession to the city of Trujillo. This five-year pilgrimage, founded after the events of 1674 and formalized by the vote of December 13, 1681, has so far remained a commitment of gratitude and supplication. The celebrations begin, in recent editions, with a Opening Mass in the sanctuary; for example, in the 68th Quinquennial Lower is indicated its beginning October 12, chaired by the Archbishop of Trujillo.

Devotion congregates a gran afluencia de fieles of Huanchaco himself, of the city of Trujillo, of various localities of La Libertad and even of other regions of Peru. Local media emphasize that "Marian faith and devotion anchored in Huanchaco 486 years ago," highlighting the historical continuity of this popular piety. Between popular traditions The processions of the spa, the presence of fishermen and entire families accompanying the Virgin, and an atmosphere of deep religiosity, together with cultural manifestations of the northern coast, stand out.

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Link to the Rosary

In the sources consulted on the Virgin Candelaria of the Huanchaco Relief there is no explicit reference to a of the Rosary, ni a una particular practice of the Rosary prayer exclusively linked to this advocation (for example, an official "Grand Rosary" of the party). Therefore, in this particular aspect, no consta a unique documented tradition about the Rosary specifically linked to the sanctuary or to the feast.

However, as in most Marian shrines of Spanish tradition, el Rosario is a regular part of devotional life: is prayed in the novena, in the vigil before the feast, in the preparations for the five-year descent and, in a special way, in the families who come to entrust themselves to the Virgin. [This is a reasonable theological and pastoral inference from the general Catholic praxis, not a documented data for this particular sanctuary.] E