Our Lady, Queen of Peace - Patroness of El Salvador

Da pacem Dómine in diébus nostris: quia non est álius qui pugnet pro nobis, nisi tu Deus noster.

Give us every day Your peace, Lord: for there is no one else who would defend us but You, our God.

Tradition has it that some time in 1682 some merchants found an abandoned box on the southern shore of El Salvador. They were unable to open the box. As it was tightly closed and sealed, they surmised that it contained something of value, and decided to take it to the City of San Miguel where they would find out how to open it. They tied the box on a donkey's back and undertook the long and dangerous journey to the city, where they arrived on November 21, meaning to inform the local authorities of their find. But when they went by the parish church, now a cathedral, the donkey lay down on the ground. They were then able to open the box and were surprised to find that it contained a lovely image of Our Lady holding the Child.

The origin of this image is still a mystery, as it never was known for whom the box was intended, or how it came to reach the beaches of El Salvador. But it is evident that the image was sent to heal a divided populace.

It is said that a hard and bloody struggle was going on between the inhabitants of the region, but when they heard of the marvelous discovery in the abandoned box, they put down their weapons and immediately ceased fighting. It is also related that during the 1833 struggles, when everyone expected a blood bath, the victorious side, instead of taking reprisals, had the blessed image placed in the atrium of the parish church. At the feet of Our Lady, a solemn vow was made to keep no grudges and to erase all hatred from the people's hearts so that peace would bring about brotherhood and reconciliation. This is why the image was given the beautiful title of Our Lady of Peace, whose liturgical celebration is held on November 21 in memory of its arrival at San Miguel.

The statute is a dressed wood carving. It has the coat-of-arms of El Salvador embroidered on the front of the image's white robe. The image holds a gold palm leaf in memory of the eruption of the Chaparrastique volcano, which threatened to destroy the city with burning lava. The frightened dwellers of San Miguel brought out the statute of Our Lady of Peace to the principal door of the cathedral, and at that precise moment the force of the lava changed direction, moving away from the city. In the exact place where the lava changed direction there's a town called "Milagro de la Paz" (Miracle of Peace).

On the day this happened, September 21, 1787, everyone saw in the sky, formed by the clouds, a white palm frond that seemed to sprout from the crater of the volcano. Considering that this was a sign of the Virgin's protection, her faithful decided to place in her hand a gold palm like the one they had seen in the sky.

Benedict XV authorized the crowning of the image, which took place on November 21, 1921. The goldsmith who made the Virgin's crown used 650 grams of gold and many precious stones, among which was a huge emerald surrounded by diamonds. The new shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Peace was completed in 1953.

Our Lady of Peace intercede for us, Archbishop Oscar Romero, pray for us