Las Lajas in Colombia Bashny.Net

This marvel of architecture is located in an incredibly beautiful place – in the extreme southwest of the country, where the Colombian Andes stretch. Las Lajas Cathedral is located on a bridge laid over the abyss, in the canyon of the Guaitara River at an altitude of two thousand six hundred meters above sea level. Seven kilometers from the Cathedral of Las Lajas is the city of Ipiales, which is located at an altitude of more than two thousand nine hundred meters above sea level, it is home to more than one hundred thousand people, among whom mainly Indians and mestizos.





With the emergence of the Colombian Cathedral of Las Lajas is associated with a beautiful legend. According to local legend, on the site where the famous cathedral is now located, in the fifties of the eighteenth century, an embossed image of the Virgin Mary was found on the stone, and she is the main saint of Colombia. The Indians who live in this area consider the Virgin Mary their queen and venerate her as the patroness of the area.





Legend has it that several centuries ago in the Colombian village of Potosi lived Indian Maria Musis de Quinones. She often visited the nearby town of Ipiales. Her path always ran across the bridge, not far from this bridge was a cave. One day, Maria took her daughter Rosa, who was deaf-mute from birth, with her on the road. They followed the usual path, but then the weather caught them on the road. A woman and a girl had to hide in one of the caves. While they waited out the bad weather in the shelter, the girl decided to climb the stones of the cave. And then the voice of the girl broke out in silence, on one of the stones Rosa saw the image of the Virgin Mary with Jesus in her arms and exclaimed: “Mom, look here a mestizo with a small mestizo on her arms and two mestizos next to her.”





Maria, she was so happy that Rosa spoke. People could not understand why the girl suddenly spoke, and no one paid attention to the story of Mary about the drawing on the stone. A few days later, Rosa disappeared, none of the villagers saw the girl. Then Maria decided to go to the cave, and she was not mistaken, the girl was there. Rosa told her mother that the woman in the image had called her. Since that time, Mary and her daughter began to visit the cave often, they brought candles, flowers and prayed to her.

563268



One day she brought a pastor to the cave, and the villagers came with them. After all the inhabitants saw in their own eyes the truthfulness of Mary’s speeches, the shepherd fell to his knees and through tears told everyone to read the holy rosary, because the Mother of God appeared to them. On the same day, the first mass was celebrated at this place, expressing gratitude to God for the presence of his mother on this earth. All this happened on the fifteenth of September 1754. Since then, the Feast of Mary has been celebrated here every year.

Source: /users/87