Holy Mary of the Cross
Cubas, Spain (1449)
In 1449, Inés Martinez, 12, saw the Virgin six times, from March 3-19. Dressed in gold, the beautiful Lady appeared to the girl while she was herding pigs.
Mary took a cross from Inés and planted it to mark the location of her desired shrine, which later became a Franciscan convent.
For many years this anniversary was celebrated with a procession from the town to the rural sanctuary, where the nuns would expose the cross.
During the Civil War, eight sisters were martyred and the shrine burned. In 1988, rebuilding began and on March 5, 1994, the new church was dedicated by the Bishop of Getafe who designated it a Diocesan Sanctuary. The convent is home to Clarissan nuns, and in recent years, the March pilgrimage has been revived.
Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill
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