Our Lady of Providence

Last updated
"Mater Divinae Providentiae," by Scipione Pulzone Our Lady of Providence Pulzone.jpg
"Mater Divinae Providentiae," by Scipione Pulzone

Our Lady of Providence or Our Lady of Divine Providence is a title of Mary. Her feast day is celebrated on 19 November.

Contents

History

The title of Mary, Mother of Divine Providence is often attributed due to her intervention at the wedding at Cana. [1]

Devotion to Our Lady of Divine Providence originated in Italy, and spread to France and Spain. The devotion was brought to Puerto Rico in the early 1850s by the Servite Order. According to tradition, Philip Benizi (1233 – 1285) prayed to Mary for help in providing food for his friars, and subsequently found several baskets of provisions left at the door of the convent. [2] Our Lady of Providence was declared the patroness of Puerto Rico by Pope Paul VI on November 19, 1969. Her feast day is celebrated in many Puerto Rican communities. [3]

Around 1580, the Italian painter Scipione Pulzone created a work titled "Divinae Providentiae, which depicted the Virgin Mary cradling the Infant Jesus. Devotion to Mary, Mother of Divine Providence in the first house of the Congregation of the Clerics Regular of St. Paul (Barnabites) in Rome at San Carlo ai Catinari church began around year 1611, [4] when one of the clerics traveled to Loreto to pray for assistance in finding the financial resources to complete the Church of San Carlo. Upon his return, they received the necessary assistance, and the Barnabites began to promote devotion to Our Lady of Providence. [2]

Pulzone's painting was given to the Barnabites in 1663. It was placed on the altar of a chapel on the first floor of the Saint Charles rectory behind the main altar. In 1732, a copy of the painting was placed in a location adjacent to the main altar of the church of San Carlo ai Catinari in Rome, where it drew many faithful visitors. [5]

In 1774, Pope Benedict XIV authorized the Confraternity of Our Lady of Providence, a lay organization created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety. Pope Gregory XVI elevated it to an Archconfraternity in 1839. [5] In 1888, Pope Leo XIII ordered the solemn crowning of the "Miraculous Lady" and approved the Mass and Office of Mary, Mother of Divine Providence. [4] On August 5, 1896, Superior General of the Barnabites Father Benedict Nisser decreed that every Barnabite have a copy of the painting in their home. [4]

Patronage

Dedicatory plaque at Santa Maria Madre della Provvidenza a Monte Verde, Rome, with Latin text Providentiae Matris Q12 Gianicolense - S. Maria Madre della Provvidenza 3.JPG
Dedicatory plaque at Santa Maria Madre della Provvidenza a Monte Verde, Rome, with Latin text Providentiæ Matris

Our Lady of Providence is the patroness of Indiana and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. The chapel of Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts is dedicated to Our Lady of Providence. [6]

Our Lady of Divine Providence is the patroness of St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, Kansas. Our Lady of Divine Providence is also the patroness of the Our Lady of Divine Providence House of Prayer, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization and ministry in Clearwater, Florida. The organization is dedicated to fostering spiritual growth among clergy and laity alike. [7]

Our Lady of Divine Providence is the patroness of the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, where a parish is dedicated to her. [8]

Santa Maria Madre della Provvidenza a Monte Verde is a church in Rome, built in 1937 and a titular church since 1969. [9] [10]

U.S. National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana OLP-shrine.jpg
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana

Devotion to Our Lady of Providence came to the United States after a chaplain of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, Monsignor A.J. Rawlinson, saw a reproduction of "Mater Divinae Providentiae" at Catholic University of America. During a trip to Rome in 1925, Rawlinson gathered historical information on the devotion to Our Lady of Providence and then brought back prints of the painting to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. [5]

On May 1, 1925, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence was canonically erected at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods with the purpose of encouraging families to make Mary the queen of their homes. A confraternity of Our Lady of Providence was erected, and later a certificate of affiliation of the American confraternity was established with the archconfraternity in Rome.

The hymn Our Lady of Providence'' by Sr. Cecilia Clare Bocard, is sung by the sisters at various special celebrations. [11]

Puerto Rico National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Providence

The National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Providence (Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora Madre de la Divina Providencia) is a pilgrimage center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The center aims to empower and educate members of the Roman Catholic faith. The site regularly hosts religious and cultural events for groups and families. [12]

On the first Saturday of every month, the center hosts an early risers (madrugadores) event in which the rosary is prayed and the sacraments of confession and eucharist are administered. Two weeks before Holy Week, the center prepares for its Lenten mission, which attracts around 10,000 pilgrims a year. Occasionally, a Night With Mary Under The Stars (Con María Bajo Las Estrellas) event is held. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Madonna</span> Artistic depiction of the Virgin Mary and Jesus

The term Black Madonna or Black Virgin tends to refer to statues or paintings in Western Christendom of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. Examples of the Black Madonna can be found both in Catholic and Orthodox countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Sorrows</span> Name of Virgin Mary in relation to sorrows in her life

Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows, and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referred to in relation to sorrows in life. As Mater Dolorosa, it is also a key subject for Marian art in the Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of the Pillar</span> Title of the Virgin Mary

Our Lady of the Pillar is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the context of the traditional belief that Mary, while living in Jerusalem, supernaturally appeared to the Apostle James the Greater in AD 40 while he was preaching in what is now Spain. Those who adhere to this belief consider this appearance to be the only recorded instance of Mary exhibiting the mystical phenomenon of bilocation. Among Catholics, it is also considered the first Marian apparition, and unique because it happened while Mary was still living on Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Mount Carmel</span> Title for the Virgin Mary

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid-13th century. They built in the midst of their hermitages a chapel which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whom they conceived of in chivalric terms as the "Lady of the place." Our Lady of Mount Carmel was adopted in the 19th century as the patron saint of Chile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary</span> Spiritual protection attributed to Mary,the mother of Jesus

A patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a form of spiritual protection attributed to Mary, mother of Jesus, in favor of some occupations, activities, religious orders, congregations, dioceses, and geographic locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scipione Pulzone</span> Italian painter

Scipione Pulzone, also known as Il Gaetano, was a Neapolitan painter of the late Italian Renaissance. His work differs in several respects from the Mannerist style predominant at the time. He was active mainly in Rome, but also worked in Naples and Florence. It is thought that he studied under Jacopino del Conte in Rome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titles of Mary</span> Descriptive names for Mary, mother of Jesus

Mary, the mother of Jesus in Christianity, is known by many different titles, epithets, invocations, and several names associated with places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin of Candelaria</span> Marian apparition

The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle, popularly called La Morenita, celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The center of worship is located in the city of Candelaria in Tenerife. She is depicted as a Black Madonna. The "Royal Basilica Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria" is considered the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Canary Islands and she is the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Her feast is celebrated on February 2 and August 15, the patronal feast of the Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaro Cathedral</span> Church in Iloilo City, Philippines

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, also known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles and colloquially as Jaro Cathedral, is a cathedral located in the district of Jaro in Iloilo City, on the island of Panay in the Philippines. The seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro, it was placed under the patronage of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. It was established in 1575 as a visita (chapel-of-ease) of Oton by the Augustinians and as a separate parish in 1587. The present-day structure of Jaro Cathedral was built in 1874.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Europe</span> The Virgin Mary, as patron of Gibraltar

Our Lady of Europe is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary patroness of Gibraltar and protectress of Europe. The entire European continent was consecrated under the protection of Our Lady of Europe in the early 14th century from the Shrine in Gibraltar where devotion continues to this day, over 700 years on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Peñafrancia</span> Philippine statue of The Virgin Mary

Our Lady of Peñafrancia is an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines. The Marian image is permanently enshrined in the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga, Camarines Sur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roque Balduque</span>

Roque Balduque was a sculptor and maker of altarpieces. Born at an unknown date in Bois-le-Duc, he is known for his work in Spain in the last years of his life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National shrine</span> Catholic designation of a sacred place

A national shrine is a Catholic church or other sacred place which has met certain requirements and is given this honor by the national episcopal conference to recognize the church's special cultural, historical, and religious significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Cabeza</span>

Our Lady of Cabeza is a Marian apparition and statue of the Madonna and Child, whose cult is centered at the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza, located in the Natural Park of the Sierra of Andújar, 32 km north of the city of Andújar, Spain. A Black Madonna, she is known popularly as La Morenita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iglesia de la Divina Providencia</span>

The Iglesia de la Divina Providencia is a church managed by the Sisters of Providence, in Santiago, Chile. It gives its name to the district of Providencia and also to Avenida Providencia. The church was originally declared as a National Monument in 1975, but this designation was revoked and again designated as a national monument in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Aranzazu</span> Patroness of San Mateo, Rizal

Our Lady of Aránzazu is a Roman Catholic title of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in San Mateo, Rizal, Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Jaro</span>

Nuestra Señora de la Purificación y la Candelaria is a venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary enshrined in Jaro Cathedral and the patroness of Western Visayas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Pilgrim Virgin</span> Baroque and neoclassical church in Pontevedra, Spain

The church of the Pilgrim Virgin is a scallop-shaped chapel located in the city of Pontevedra, in Spain, along the route of the Portuguese Way of St. James.

References

  1. Tierney, J. C., "Who is Our Lady of Providence?", Marian Library, University of Dayton
  2. 1 2 Ruiz, Vicki L. and Korrol, Virginia Sánchez. Latinas in the United States, Indiana University Press, 2006 ISBN   9780253111692
  3. "A community honors Our Lady of Divine Providence", The Georgia bulletin, Archdiocese of Atlanta
  4. 1 2 3 "Origin of the devotion to Mary, Mother of Divine Providence", Barnabites
  5. 1 2 3 "History of devotion to Our Lady of Providence", Sisters of the Divine Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, March 19, 2009
  6. "Our Lady of Providence Chapel", St. Vincent's Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts
  7. "Foundation". Marian Servants of Divine Providence.
  8. "Inicio". Parroquia Nuestra Señora Madre de la Divina Providencia.
  9. D'Angelo, Augusto (September 28, 2021). Preti a Roma: 150 anni di sfide nella capitale. Edizioni Studium S.r.l. ISBN   9788838251450 via Google Books.
  10. Rendina, Claudio (November 7, 2007). Le chiese di Roma: storie, leggende e curiosità degli edifici sacri della Città Eterna, dai templi pagani alle grandi basiliche, dai conventi ai monasteri ai luoghi di culto in periferia. Newton Compton. ISBN   9788854109315 via Google Books.
  11. McCammon, Connie (Summer 2009). "Bringing beauty into the world". HOPE Magazine. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana: Sisters of Providence. 4 (3): 4–5.
  12. "Santuario". Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora Madre de la Divina Providencia.
  13. "Celebraciones". Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora Madre de la Divina Providencia.