OUR LADY OF PEACE EL SALVADOR
Feast: November 21st, Presentation of the Virgin Mary.
In the year 1682 some merchants found an abandoned box on the shore of the Salvadoran South Sea; it was so well sealed that they could not open it with their tools. Sure that it contained some valuable object, they tied the box on the back of their donkey and took it to the city of San Miguel. There they hoped to find a way to open it. They arrived in the city on November 21. With the intention of ensuring the ownership of the possible treasure, they first went to the local authorities to report the discovery; when they passed in front of the parish church, now the Cathedral, the donkey fell to the ground and no one could move it. Then, without any effort, they managed to open the box and discovered that the treasure it contained was a beautiful image of Our Lady with the Child in her arms.
The origin of the image remains a mystery, since it was never known what the destination of the box was, nor how it reached the shores of El Salvador. It is said that when the image arrived there was a bloody fight among the inhabitants of the region and when word of the marvelous find spread, all laid down their arms and immediately ceased hostilities; It is also said that in the fratricidal struggles of 1833, the victorious side, instead of retaliating, as expected, had the blessed image placed in the atrium of the parish and at the feet of Mary solemnly swore not to bear grudges and to erase hatred from the hearts so that peace would germinate in fraternity and reconciliation. Certainly a marvelous miracle. For this reason they gave the image the beautiful title of Our Lady of Peace, whose liturgical feast is celebrated on November 21, in memory of her arrival in the city of San Miguel.
The image of Our Lady of Peace is carved in dressed wood. It has embroidered on the front of the skirt of her white dress, the national coat of arms of the Republic of El Salvador. The image carries in her right hand a golden palm in memory of the eruption of the Chaparrastique volcano, which threatened to sink the city in a sea of burning lava. The frightened inhabitants of San Miguel placed the image of Our Lady of Peace on the main door of the Cathedral and at that very moment the strong lava flow changed direction, moving away from the city. At the exact point where the lava twisted its course there is a town called "Milagro de la Paz" (Miracle of Peace). This happened on September 21, 1787 and that day everyone saw in the blue sky that the smoke coming out of the volcano formed a palm tree. Seeing in this a sign of the Virgin's protection, the people decided to place in her hand a golden palm, similar to the one they had seen in the sky.
Benedict XV granted the canonical coronation of the image, which took place on November 21, 1921. The new church dedicated to Our Lady of Peace was completed in 1953. Our Lady of Peace, pray for us.
