Venerated in Roman Catholic Church | Feast 9 July | |
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Major shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Itatí, Itatí, Argentina Attributes Statue of the Virgin Mary in prayer, blue embroidered mantle, solar crown, veil Patronage Corrientes Province, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Corrientes | ||
Our Lady of Itatí (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Itatí), also known as the Virgin of Itatí, is a Roman Catholic title of the Virgin Mary, whose principal shrine is in the city of Itatí, Corrientes Province, Argentina. Her feast day is celebrated on July 9, with an anniversary celebration on July 16.
History
According to legend, the wooden representation of the Virgin Mary saved the life of 17th-century Jesuit missionary, Luis de Bolaños, known for his attempts to convert the natives to Catholicism. It is also said that the Virgin intervened in a battle between two native tribes, resulting in the victory of the tribe with the conquerors' aid.
On July 16, 1900, the statue of Our Lady was granted a Canonical Coronation under the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII, who proclaimed the statue as the patron saint of Corrientes. In 1950, a basilica to enshrine the image was built with one of the tallest domes in South America, now known as one of the largest Catholic pilgrimage sites in Argentina, where draws about 300,000 pilgrims annually.