Mary appears to a tribal chief to urge him to be baptized

At the end of the 16th century, the evangelization efforts of the Franciscans and Dominicans in Venezuela had produced abundant fruits. But a Coromoto (or Kospes) tribal chief ("cacique") strongly, and understandably, resisted the new religion, which had come along with a sometimes controversial colonization. The cacique had a difficult time distinguishing between the two.

But in 1651, the cacique had a miraculous vision: he saw a very beautiful woman, who invited him to receive baptism. Sanchez, the "encomendero" (the Spanish official in charge of land grants), gave all the land around the apparition site to the Kospes tribe so that they could both settle there and receive instruction in the faith. Most of them were baptized, but the cacique, who missed his jungle and his independence, refused baptism. There, he commanded; here, he had to obey.

The Virgin then appeared a second time to the cacique who, furious, said he would kill her. But the apparition disappeared, leaving in his hand a small parchment bearing her image.

About 8x10 inches in size, it represents the Virgin Mary in a sitting position with the child Jesus on her lap. Jesus is holding the globe with his left hand and blessing it with his right hand.

After this second apparition, the cacique asked to be baptized, and became an ardent apostle of Our Lady, preaching the devotion to the Virgin of Coromoto among other tribes.

The town of Guanare, where the image is kept in a golden reliquary, became a place of pilgrimage. On March 1, 1942, the Venezuelan bishops met in general session and proclaimed the Virgin of Coromoto patroness of Venezuela.

On October 7, 1944, Pope Pius XII ratified the bishops' decree, officially declaring Our Lady of Coromoto patron saint of Venezuela and raising the shrine to a basilica.

Adapted and translated from: Attilio Galli, Madre della Chiesa dei Cinque continenti, Ed. Segno, Udine, 1997, pp. 1018-1019

See also: Library of Marian Writings