Our Lady of Luján

Patroness of Argentina

Our Lady of Luján is one of the best-loved Marian devotions in South America. Her original image is small and simple —about 38 centimetres tall, made of fired clay and representing the Immaculate Conception—, yet around it has gathered, for centuries, the greatest manifestation of faith in Argentina. Venerated in her great basilica on the banks of the Luján River, the Virgin is today the patroness of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, and one of the symbols of Argentine culture.

Key facts

The account of the «miracle of the cart» (the image that refused to continue the journey) and the wondrous events of its early years are pious tradition, handed down by popular devotion, distinct from the facts about the dates, the basilica and the patronages, which are indeed documented. On this page we distinguish them clearly.

History and tradition of Luján

The miracle of the cart (tradition)

Tradition tells that the origin of the devotion goes back to 1628, when Antonio Farías Saá, a Portuguese landowner settled in Sumampa, wished to build a chapel on his estate in honour of the Virgin and asked a fellow countryman living in Brazil to send him an image of the Immaculate Conception. For a better choice, his friend sent him two images. In May 1630 they arrived at the port of Buenos Aires and, packed in separate crates, were placed on a cart.

After several days of travel, the caravan made a halt near the present-day city of Luján to spend the night. The next day, ready to continue, the oxen could not move the cart. After failed attempts, they took down one of the crates and the oxen resumed their march without difficulty. Intrigued, when they opened the crate they found the small fired-clay image of the Immaculate Conception. The faithful interpreted the event as providential and entrusted it for safekeeping to Rosendo de Trigueros, the owner of the house. The second image continued its journey and came to be venerated under the title of Our Lady of Consolation of Sumampa.

The hermitage and the move to Luján

As the gathering of neighbours who came to venerate the image grew, Rosendo de Trigueros built it a hermitage, where it remained from 1630 until 1674. That site, still known today as «the place of the miracle,» preserves a small chapel that may be visited. The image, lovingly called «the Estate Virgin» and «the Little Brown Patroness,» was placed in the care of Manuel, a slave of the caravan who, seeing his devotion, was assigned to serve her and led the prayers of the pilgrims.

Tradition recounts that, when Doña Ana de Matos, a widow with an estate on the Luján River, obtained the transfer of the image and installed it in her oratory, the next morning the Virgin was not on her altar: they found her again in «the place of the miracle.» The event being held as wondrous, the bishop of Buenos Aires and the governor of the Río de la Plata finally arranged its transfer. In 1886 Father Salvaire presented to Pope Leo XIII the petition to crown the image; the Pontiff blessed the crown and granted it a proper Office and Mass, and the coronation took place in May 1887.

Luján in Argentine history

The first sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Luján was inaugurated on 8 December 1763. In it many of the founding fathers of Argentine independence made their profession of faith and commended themselves to her, among them Manuel Belgrano and José de San Martín. Belgrano stopped at Luján in September 1810 and, in thanksgiving, consecrated to the Virgin the two royalist flags seized from the enemy at the battle of Salta (1813). San Martín visited the sanctuary in 1816, before his campaign to Peru, and in 1823, returning from the liberating feat, dedicated to the Virgin one of his swords.

Patroness of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay

In 1930 the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the image was reached. That year, at the joint request of the Argentine, Uruguayan and Paraguayan episcopates, Pope Pius XI proclaimed —by a bull of 8 September 1930— Our Lady of Luján patroness of the three Republics. On 8 December of that same year, Pius XI granted the sanctuary the title of basilica. The present Basilica of Luján is a great neo-Gothic church of the 19th century, built of carved stone, with two towers more than a hundred metres high.

The pilgrimages

Devotion to Luján is expressed in a singular way through its pilgrimages. The first workers’ marches to the sanctuary, at the end of the 19th century, were promoted by Father Federico Grote, founder of the Catholic Circles of Workers. Over the years, the Youth Pilgrimage on Foot to Luján —begun in October 1975— became the greatest annual manifestation of faith in Argentina, gathering more than a million people who walk the road to the basilica.

The spiritual message of Luján

Devotion to Luján speaks to us today with simple words:

📿 Mary chose to remain among her own. The tradition of the cart that would not move forward expresses, in popular language, the desire of a Mother who chooses to stay beside her people.
🙏 Mary accompanies our journeys. Patroness of the roads and goal of so many pilgrimages, she comes out to meet whoever walks toward her.
🌎 Mary unites the peoples of the Plata. Under her mantle Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay recognize one another as sisters.
✝️ Mary always leads to her Son. She sustains in their faith those who call upon her, so as to bring them to Jesus.

Prayer to Our Lady of Luján

Pray also the Marian prayers and prepare her feast by drawing near to Mary as so many pilgrims have done at her sanctuary.