Pause for a moment and consider how this southernmost point of Gibraltar became home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe. This Roman Catholic parish church stands as a national shrine. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Europe. She is the Catholic patroness of Gibraltar.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Europe is part of the European Marian Network. This network links twenty Marian sanctuaries in Europe. That number mirrors the decades in the Rosary. Its history is a tapestry woven from Moorish beginnings and Spanish reconquests.
In the early 14th century, Europa Point saw the construction of a small mosque during the Moorish period. During the first Spanish period from 1309 to 1333, the mosque became a Christian shrine.
A pivotal moment arrived on August 20 1462. On Saint Bernard of Clairvaux’s feast day, the Spaniards recaptured Gibraltar from the Moors. They transformed the mosque into a Christian shrine again. It honored Our Lady as Patroness of Europe. The Spanish named it Ermita de la Virgen de Europa. Their intent was devout. They sought to consecrate the entire continent to God through Mary. This would be done from a place of prayer at Europe’s southernmost tip.
They erected a large chapel. It stood at right angles to the mosque’s east wall. This entire area became the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe. A statue of the Virgin and Child was installed in the 15th century. The statue was small. It stood only two feet tall. Carved in wood, it was painted in royal red, blue, and gold. The Virgin sat in a simple chair. The Child Jesus was on her lap. Both wore crowns. The Virgin held a sceptre in her right hand. It featured three flowers. They represented Love, Truth, and Justice.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Europe prospered for over two centuries. Ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar saluted Our Lady. Mariners often came ashore with gifts. They ensured a constant supply of oil. This fueled a light. It burned not only in front of the image but also in the tower. The light in the tower was Gibraltar’s first lighthouse.
In 1545, Barbary pirates attacked Gibraltar. They looted the Shrine. The statue of the Virgin and Child was spared. New walls were erected by Philip II. Giovanni Andrea Doria gifted a silver lamp in 1568. John of Austria presented two massive silver lamps. This followed his victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
In August 1704, an Anglo-Dutch fleet captured Gibraltar. Troops looted the shrine. They broke off the head of the statue. The statue’s remains were thrown into the strait. A fisherman found them. He delivered them to Juan Romero de Figueroa. He was the priest in charge. The statue’s remains were taken to Algeciras. It was placed in a chapel dedicated to St Bernard. The chapel was later renamed the Chapel of Our Lady of Europe.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Europe became military property. It was damaged during the Great Siege of Gibraltar. In the early 1860s, John Baptist Scandella sought the statue’s return. It was returned in 1864. The statue was placed in a new chapel along Engineer Road. Pope Pius IX donated a marble altar.
The statue was moved to the cathedral during World War II. After the war, it was moved to St Joseph’s Parish Church. In 1961, the building was ceded to the Diocese. Restoration began in 1962. Mass was celebrated at the Shrine in 1962 after 258 years. The statue was moved to the Shrine in 1967. In 1997, the sanctuary was rebuilt, and the statue was restored.
In 1979, Pope John Paul II approved the title of Our Lady of Europe. He named her Patroness of Gibraltar. In 2009, the shrine received the Golden Rose from Pope Benedict XVI. This was upon the 700th anniversary of the devotion to Our Lady of Europe.
Today, the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe stands as a testament to faith and history. It watches over the Strait of Gibraltar. It is a beacon of hope and unity for Europe.