To the Band of Brothers: September 10, 2021

Good morning!

At the risk of writing something a little too long, I wanted to share this write-up with you. I was inspired to send it because one of our Belen brothers this morning gifted me a souvenir from his visit to the Cathedral of Zaragoza and La Virgen del Pilar. The God-incidence is that just a few weeks ago, we had to replace the statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola that was in the Administration Building, in front of the conference room, because it is going in the new chapel. We placed in its stead an image of La Virgen del Pilar gifted to Belen by the Estopiñán family (Antoni ’20). This write-up is framed next to the image and explains its significance. Enjoy.

St. James the Great, son of Zebedee, brother of John, Apostle of Christ, took the words of Jesus quite literally: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). For an Israelite of the 2nd century, the “ends of the earth” was the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It was through Roman Hispania (present-day Spain) that this former fisherman preached the gospel and met with great resistance. 

In a moment of severe discouragement, while praying by the banks of the Ebro River in Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza), the Blessed Mother bilocated and appeared to console him. In addition, she gave him a column of jasper and instructed him to build a church in her honor. The Apostle describes Mary as surrounded by a multitude of angels. While there are many instances of Marian apparitions throughout Church history, this is the only occasion where the Virgin appeared while still alive, living in Jerusalem. 

There is no recorded information about the sculptor of the image of Our Lady of the Pillar. Early Christian lore attributes it to the very angels who accompanied the Blessed Mother on her journey to visit St. James. The statue is made of wood and located in the basilica that carries her name, in Zaragoza, Spain. It is sculpted in the Latin Gothic style and stands 15 inches tall on a pillar of jasper nearly 6 feet in height. The image depicts Mary with the Child Jesus on her left arm, who has a dove in his left hand. There are various crowns that surround both mother and child, a testament to Jesus as Prince of Peace and Mary as Queen of the Universe. The column on which the image stands is emblazoned with the cross of St. James. 

While the basilica has undergone many expansions over the years, the present structure was begun in 1681 by King Charles II of Spain. Of particular importance are the vaults painted with frescoes by Francisco Goya, including the painting of the apparition shown here (1769).

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the communists, looking to eradicate all Catholic traditions from Spain, dropped three bombs on the basilica in an attempt to destroy it and, with it, the image of la Virgen del Pilar. Even though the bombs crashed through the roof of the building, they did not explode. To many, this miracle is an example of the Blessed Mother’s protection over the Church and a testament to her Son’s triumph over evil. Two of these bombs are still on display in the Basilica today, a reminder of Mary’s powerful intercession and a testament to the words of her Son who promised the Church that, “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18b).

The image at Belen was placed in its location on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Belen Jesuit in Miami. It is a reminder of the Blessed Mother’s protection and how she has provided the Society of Jesus, through her prayers, the grace to overcome the communist regime in Cuba and continue to thrive even in exile.

Auspice Maria