Spritual mother of the Dominican Republic and People of the Dominican Republic
Protective and Spiritual Mother of the Dominican People
Venerated in
Roman Catholic Church; introduced to Hispaniola in 1502
Major shrine
Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia
Feast
January 21
Attributes
The Star of Bethlehem and 12 stars that represent the tribes of Israel and a silver crown
Patronage
The Dominican Republic and in any difficult situation
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Our Lady of Altagracia" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Our Lady of Altagracia or the Virgin of Altagracia, in Catholic Marian devotion, is a title of Mary by which she is honored as the “protective and spiritual mother of the Dominican people.”[1][2] The title also is used for a particular image of Mary with the baby Jesus in a manger. Her patronal feast day is January 21, a holiday/non-working day in the Dominican Republic on which many faithful devotees of the Virgin come from all over the Dominican territory to the Basilica-Cathedral of Our lady of Altagracia, in the province of La Altagracia. Devotion to her is also prominent in areas outside of the Dominican Republic where Dominican influence flourishes, including New York City, where her feast marks the beginning of Dominican Heritage Month.[3]
The image of the Virgin of Altagracia shows symbols and imagery that are important in Christianity and in Marian devotion in particular, including Jesus in a manger, a crown of stars and a mantle of stars for Mary, and symbolic colors.
The feast day was officially established by a bishop in 1692, but devotion had probably begun a century or two earlier. One story said that the venerated image is based on an appearance of Mary to a young girl in Spain; another said that two Spanish brothers brought the painting with them to Hispaniola when the Spanish were establishing a colony; another says that a girl on the island had a dream of the "Virgin of Altagracia," prompting her father to find the image and bring it to the village of Salvaleón de Higüey around 1500. The Virgin's intercession is credited for victory of a Spanish-Dominican force over a French force in 1691.
In the 20th century, this devotion was given various forms of affirmation and approval, including the Dominican Congress' declaration of an official holiday, a papal declaration by Pius XI, a blessing of the Basicilia-Cathedral (then called the Sanctuary of Altagracia) by Pope John Paul II during his 1979 visit, and a ceremonial crowning during his second visit.[citation needed] Similarly, Pope Francis sent a golden rose to honor her in 2022.[4]
^Castillo, Altagracia (January 21, 2015). "Hoy es Día de la Virgen de la Altagracia, madre protectora del pueblo dominicano". El Día. Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
^Corcino, P. (January 21, 2012). "Dominicanos veneran a Virgen de la Altagracia". El Diario. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
^"Celebrate the Feast of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, Patron Saint of the Dominican Republic". New York Latin Culture Magazine. January 15, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
^Campisi, Tiziana (16 August 2022). "Our Lady of Altagracia jubilee concludes in Dominican Republic - Vatican News". Vatican News.
and 23 Related for: Our Lady of Altagracia information
OurLadyofAltagracia or the Virgin ofAltagracia, in Catholic Marian devotion, is a title of Mary by which she is honored as the “protective and spiritual...
Basilica ofOurLadyofAltagracia (Higüey) • Cathedral of Santa María la Menor • Sanctuary ofOurLadyof Las Mercedes. • Sacred Heart of Jesus Church of Moca...
Catherine of Alexandria Fortaleza – OurLadyof Assumption Niterói – John the Baptist Ouro Preto – OurLadyof the Pillar Paraty – Virgin of Los Remedios...
Peso dominicano (English: Dominican peso) has been the name of the currency of the Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana) since 2010. Its symbol...
Catholicism portal List of colonial buildings in Santo Domingo Colonial City of Santo Domingo OurLadyofAltagracia List of oldest buildings in the Americas...
Catholic Church "Shrine ofOurLadyof Health, Harihar is raised to the status of a Minor Basilica". "Basilica ofOurLadyof the Holy Rosary, Karumathampatti...
Higüey: The city of Higüey is within the tourist destinations in the province, since it is found, the Basilica ofOurLadyofAltagracia and Sanctuary San...
Basilica ofOurLadyofAltagracia, Dominican Republic Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, by Sir Frederick Gibberd, 1967 Tokyo Cathedral, Japan Cathedral of Brasília...
returning to El Seybo from a pilgrimage to the sanctuary ofOurLadyofAltagracia in Higüey. The death of his fiancée sent Santana into a deep depression. His...
The Basilica ofOurLadyof El Valle (Spanish: Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora de El Valle) It is a Gothic Revival basilica located in El Valle del Espíritu...
coronation of OurLadyofAltagracia in 1922. Other noted works include "Añoranzas", a book of prose. De Moya had briefly served as first lady in 1899 and...
Memorial 21 January: OurLadyofAltagracia – Memorial 23 March: Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, bishop – Feast 27 June: OurLadyof Perpetual Help – Solemnity...
the United States is under the purview of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; with the permission of the Holy See, the conference has made...
III-manual organ Basilica ofOurLadyofAltagracia, Higuey Dominican Republic City Overview, Rodgers III-manual organ Cathedral of the Incarnation (Anglican)...
Dominican Republic in 2020". Office Holidays. Retrieved August 26, 2020. "LadyofAltagracia in Dominican Republic in 2021". Office Holidays. Retrieved August...
disappearing with the growth of the city. The station serves the nearby OurLadyofAltagracia Parish. La Cima Mall. Preparatory Nº. 7 of U. de G. in the Colonia...
the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, Peter Claver. Costa Ricans: Virgen de los Ángeles. Cubans: OurLadyof Charity. Dominicans: Virgin ofAltagracia, Saint Dominic...