Our Lady of Conquest
Our Lady of Conquest |
Feast Day: January 12
In the North Chapel of the beautiful cathedral of Santa Fe
stands a little statue (scarcely three feet tall) of Our Lady holding the Child
Jesus. It was skillfully carved by loving hands in Spain. Mary is clad in a
richly embroidered dress, topped by a jeweled crown. Her regal countenance
wears a serene, detached expression that is strangely impressive. This is Our
Lady of Conquest, or La Conquistadora.
The statue of Our Lady of Conquest came to the new world in
the care of the Franciscan missionary Fray Alonso da Venevides. She was
installed with great ceremony in a church in Santa Fe. Over the ensuing
decades, as often happens, the men living in the region did not practice their
religion as they should. Mary appeared in a vision to a young girl, warning her
that the colony would be overrun due to the loss of reverence for priests and
the Faith.
In the year 1680 the local Indians rose up and attacked the
Spanish. Twenty-one priests were killed, and the colonists completely driven
out of the region. The statue was rescued from the burning church and taken
back to Mexico with the colonists who escaped the wrath of the Indians.
It was not until the year 1691 that Don Diego de Vargas was
sent by the King of Spain to attempt the resettlement of the city of Santa Fe.
Like so many Spanish heroes who had accomplished seemingly impossible deeds
during their lifetimes, he was as fervent a Catholic as he was a capable
knight. Don Diego de Vargas carried with him the statue of Our Lady as he
reentered New Mexico. Although he had only a small force, he was able to
peacefully negotiate a peace with the various Indian nations. He attributed his
success to “the Sovereign Queen, Most Blessed Mary.” He is said to have vowed
to build a chapel for her and hold a yearly procession if she would grant him a
speedy and blood-less victory over the Indian, which she did.
Upon reaching his goal, however, the Indians refused to
allow the Spanish colonists to return to Santa Fe. The Spanish under Don Diego
were few in number, and they were forced to fight a numerically superior force.
The colonists prayed the rosary before the statue of the
Blessed Virgin as the men engaged the Indians in battle. The fighting lasted
all day, and it was not until evening when they reclaimed the city. Once again,
Mary was credited for the victory, and to show her sovereignty, Don Diego
placed an officer’s baton in her hand.
The shrine symbolizes a spirit of deep-rooted Faith and
devotion which characterized the “Conquistadores” of this land. There is still
a great deal of devotion shown to Mary at the Cathedral of St. Francis that
includes processions, fiestas and other celebrations.
The statue was formally crowned by Cardinal Francis Spellman
and in 1960 received a Papal Coronation.
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