“Mum the Virgin is calling me” Can you imagine these words echoing through the canyon? This is Nuestra Señora de las Lajas.
Nuestra Señora de las Lajas stands as a testament to faith and architectural brilliance. This church is more than just a building. It is a sanctuary of legends and miracles.
Let’s step back to 1754. Maria Meneses de Quiñones and her deaf-mute daughter Rosa sought shelter from a storm. They found refuge among the “lajas” or slabs of stone. Rosa then exclaimed that the Virgin was calling her and pointed to a silhouette illuminated by lightning. This was the first sign of the Virgin Mary in this place.
The story doesn’t end there. Tragedy struck when Rosa passed away. Maria, determined to pray for her daughter’s soul returned to the site of the apparition. Miraculously the Virgin revived Rosa. Mother and daughter revealed the miracle. This event sparked the building of a shrine.
A friar documented the existence of a shrine between 1756 and 1764. The first shrine was simple made of straw and wood. It was replaced by a brick chapel in 1795. A larger shrine followed in 1802 and was connected to the canyon’s opposite side by a bridge.
The church you see today was built between 1916 and 1949. It was funded by donations from local churchgoers. Rising 100 meters high from the canyon floor it connects to the opposite side via a 50-meter-tall bridge.
But who created the image of the Virgin behind the altar? Some say it appeared when Maria wanted to show the priest where her daughter was revived. Worshippers saw an image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus imprinted in the stone wall. This image extends several feet into the stone.
Pope Pius XII recognized the image and granted it a canonical coronation in 1952. In 1954 the shrine was elevated to a minor basilica. The Virgin was declared the Principal Patroness of the Diocese of Ipiales in 1965.
Nuestra Señora de las Lajas is a popular pilgrimage site. It is second only to Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá in Colombia. Its location near the border makes it a destination for pilgrims from Colombia and Ecuador.
As you stand here remember the story of Maria and Rosa. Consider the mystery of the image within the stone. Let the stunning architecture inspire you. This is a place of faith. It is a place of miracles. It is Nuestra Señora de las Lajas.