Pilgrims Take a Modified Route to Celebrate La Negrita in Guanacaste.

The pilgrimage of the Virgin of the Angels is already under way, and those living far away have already started their long walk to celebrate in the Basilica de los Angeles in Cartago. This year, 2 million believers are expected to make the pilgrimage on foot, by horse, bus or even on their knees to honor La Negrita, a small black statue of the Virgin Mary, as well as to give their respects having had their prayers answered. Some devotees walk up to 300 kilometers to reach their destination.

This pilgrimage coincides with the feast day of the Virgin of the Angels held on Aug. 2, which commemorates the miraculous appearance of a small carved image of the virgin mother to a child. The story is said to have taken place on Aug. 2, 1635. The young girl found a little statue and she took it home. On finding it her mother told her it was wrong and told her to put it back where she had found it. The little girl went to look for it where she had put it and found that it was gone. They went back where she had found it the next day, and there it was! They took the statue to show it to a priest, however it disappeared again, and again it made its way where they had found it.

A shrine was soon built on the rock by the stream where the statue had originally appeared, and a church was built on this very spot. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 1920, and a new church was re-built six years later. The Basilica is of Byzantine architecture and is unique in Costa Rica. The walls of the shrine are covered with little gifts from the pilgrims who have been cured, sometimes in the form of the body part itself; hundreds of little gold figurines, in the form of a leg, an arm, a heart, are shinning all around the little black virgin. This practice and a similar story can be found in many other Latin countries, and it seems it is a mixture of catholic and local non-christian religions.

It has become tradition in Costa Rica to make a stop or attend a service at the Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown San Jose en route to the main destination. A water tank will be on hand to supply water to the two million visitors who will congregate in front of the Basilica, and clean up has already been organized to take place on the following days.

Over 50 officials are keeping an eye on the traffic and the pilgrims as they approach the Basilica this year, and 350 volunteers will be present to help out along the way as well. The operations are to start early in the mornings, with reinforcement as the amount of people grows. The road from Hacienda Vieja, en Curridabat, on the Florencio del Castillo highway, going through San Diego de La Union, all the way to Ochomogo will be under surveillance. The old road from the Old Galera in the center of Tres Rios to Ochomogo will have the same supervision to protect the pilgrims.

If you are on vacation to Costa Rica during this time, take advantage of the opportunity to participate in this annual, cultural and religious event, and speak with those around you. Many will share stories of the miraculous healing powers of La Negrita and how she changed their lives.

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Filed under: Living on July 23rd, 2008