Central American Mary Project: Map, Image, Facts, Flag

Imágenes centroamericanas
de María, la Madre de Dios
1. Full Color Map of Central
America, labeled with countries,
capitals, oceans, and 3 significant
geographical features, etc.
2. Full Color Image of Mary, drawn,
colored or painted beautifully
and labeled in Spanish.
3. Ten facts written in both Spanish
and English detailing the
apparition/image of Mary you
researched. You must number
your facts 1-10. Sources will be
included on this page.
4. Full color flag of your Central
American nation.
*Please note that the flags and the
maps may be printed or drawn.
Grades 6-8: Assigned on April 24 and due on May 7th before
Spanish class.
Imagen centroamericana de María, la Madre de Dios
Name: ____________________________________
/125 TOTAL POINTS – FINAL PROJECT GRADE
/25 points - Punctuality/Work Ethic
Did you use time wisely and efficiently while working in class and
at home? Did you come to school fully prepared with your project
on its due date?
/25 points – Map/Flag
Are both your map and flag in full color? Large and lovely?
Labeled with countries, capitals, oceans, and three additional
geographical features? Flag, detailed, rectangular and colorful?
/25 points - Image of Mary
Is your image of Mary, drawn (not traced), colored or beautifully
painted and labeled in Spanish? Is she large? Detailed? Accurately
depicted? Does she convey the deep and exquisite spirituality of
your people (the nation of your research)?
/25 points - Facts about YOUR Mary
Are your facts numbered, hand-written in both Spanish and
English? Do your facts explain the image of Mary you researched?
Do your facts include all important details of the miracles,
patronage, devotion, and dates, pertaining to your country’s
Marian image? Did you include your sources?
/25 points - Oral Presentation
Were you loud and clear? Did you explain everything thoroughly
and seriously? Were you respectful and quiet while others were
presenting? Did you include everything, as you shared?
https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/l/lat
in-american-titles-of-mary.php
1. Guatemala:
Nuestra Señora del Rosario
2. El Salvador:
Nuestra Señora de la Paz
https://www.corazones.org/maria/america/el_salvador.htm
Nuestra Señora de la Paz,
El Salvador
3. Honduras:
Nuestra Señora de Suyapa
https://www.corazones.org/maria/america/honduras_suyapa.htm
https://es.catholic.net/op/articulos/3173/cat/644/suyapa-nuestra-senora-de.html
4. Nicaragua:
Nuestra Señora de la
Concepción de El Viejo
Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de El
Viejo – Nicaragua
http://www.mariologia.org/advocaciones/advocacionesnicaragua02.pdf
https://catedraldeescuintla.com/nuestra-senora-de-la-concepcion-de-el-viejonicaragua/
https://aleteia.org/2018/02/20/do-you-know-the-connection-between-st-teresa-ofavila-our-lady-and-nicaragua
https://vidas-santas.blogspot.com/2013/02/nuestra-senora-de-la-concepcion-deel.html
5. Costa Rica: Nuestra
Señora de los Ángeles
Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles
Cartago, Costa Rica
https://www.spanish.academy/blog/fiesta-of-the-virgin-of-los-angeles-cartago-costarica/
https://ticotimes.net/2019/08/02/costa-rica-celebrates-virgen-de-los-angeles-day
6.Panamá: Nuestra Señora de La Antigua
http://www.mariologia.org/advocaciones/advocacionespanama02.htm
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
En el mes de mayo honramos a María, la Madre de Dios
Nuestra Señora de Fátima
Nuestra Señora de la Bien Aparecida
En el mes de mayo honramos a María, la Madre de Dios
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
En el mes de mayo honramos a María, la Madre de Dios
La Clase de
Español
En el mes de mayo
honramos a María, la
Madre de Dios
(In the month of May,
we honor Mary, the
Mother of God)
Nuestra Señora del Rosario
Nuestra Señora de la Bien Aparecida
En el mes de mayo honramos a María, la Madre de Dios
Fiesta of the Virgin of Los
Angeles, Cartago, Costa Rica
La Fiesta of the Virgin of Los Angeles is celebrated in Cartago, Costa Rica on August
2nd, and it is one of the most significant religious celebrations you’ll ever witness in
Central America.
Only Christmas and the Holy Week Celebrations are more important in Costa Rica in
terms of religious festivities, but if you’re interested in experiencing the soul and culture
of the Costa Rican people, you should plan your summer vacation around July and
August.
Origin of the Fiesta of the Virgin of Los
Angeles
Source
During the Colonial period, Cartago was one of the major Spanish settlements in Costa
Rica. People of African descent constituted approximately 20% of the population and
lived separately from the Spaniards. The Catholic Church controlled these official
settlements, and the capital had signposts that read la Cruz de Caravaca (The Cross of
Caravaca) to divide and segregate its inhabitants.
The story of the Virgin of Los Angeles starts with the discovery of La Negrita (The little
Black) at the beginning of the 17th century, in Puebla de Los Pardos.
Costa Ricans believe that on August 2nd, around 1635, a young indigenous woman came
across a small stamped stone in the middle of the forest while collecting firewood. The
figure depicted a woman with a baby in her arms. She decided to take it home and saved
it in a box.
On her return to the forest the next day, she found a second identical stone—also
stamped with the same image. She decided to take this one home as well, and save it
with the first one. However, when she went to store it in the same box, it was empty.
On the third day, she found the exact same statue, and, once again, the box in her house
turned out empty.
So, instead of putting it again into the box, she took it to the local clergyman, Alonso de
Sandoval, who kept it in a bigger chest. But guess what? When the priest opened the
chest the next day, the stone was not there. However, the young woman found it again
on the same rock, next to the spring. She took it again to the priest who guarded the
figure in the tabernacle. However, the next day, the figure was gone once again.
Alonso de Sandoval decided that it was enough proof to consider it to be a message from
the Virgin Mary. She was expressing she wanted to be in the forest, in the Pueblo de los
Pardos, together with the impoverished and humble. And so, he built a small temple
there and dedicated it to the Virgin. It’s the same place where you can find la Basílica de
los Ángeles.
People baptized the statue with the name Virgen Morena. Later, it acquired a different
name, Virgen de los Ángeles, because the Franciscans celebrated la Fiesta de Nuestra
Señora de Los Ángeles (The feast of Our Lady of the Angels) on August 2nd.
In 1635, Costa Rica officially established La Negrita as the country’s patron Saint. The
same year, the Catholic Church established La Cofradía, a lay organization of Los
Pardos (Free Blacks), responsible for the veneration of the Virgin.
You are probably wondering who was the girl who found the statue. Nobody knows her
real name, but some investigations showed that the most used first name and surname
at the time were Juana and Pereira. So, that became the girl’s official name—as a tribute
to all the Afro-descendant indigenous women from the area.
You can watch the whole story in an official video by the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de
Los Ángeles. There aren’t many dialogues so it’s easy to understand. You also have the
option to turn on automatically generated subtitles for more guidance.
How to Celebrate the Fiesta of the
Virgin of Los Angeles
It all starts in July. Depending on how far they live, the pilgrims embark on their way to
the city of Cartago to celebrate the Fiesta of the Virgin of Los Ángeles on August 2nd.
The name for the religious pilgrimage is the annual Romería.
Everybody gets to the Fiesta of the Virgin whatever means they can—by car, walking
(sometimes barefoot), on a horse. Sometimes, when the pilgrims get to San José, about
10 miles away from the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, they start to crawl on
their hands and knees as a sign of their devotion. Some do it upon arriving at the
Basilica.
On August 2nd, people come to the Fiesta of the Virgin to thank La Negrita for favors,
and pray for help to overcome illnesses and serious obstacles. Visitors can also visit and
beseech her protection by the rock where the statue was found. Some people drink from
the stream nearby, splash themselves with the water they consider miraculous, and
collect some to take home. People believe the water has healing powers.
The Description of the Figure of the
Virgin of Los Angeles
One of the most curious things about the statute of La Negrita is its composition. Its
materials constitute a mixture of jade, volcanic stone at the base, and graphite that adds
to its color. Archaeologists that examined the statue say that it is very difficult, almost
impossible to mix those three minerals together.
What’s also interesting is that there was no graphite in Costa Rica, only in Europe, at
that time. Conversely, the Old Continent did not have jade or volcanic stone.Therefore,
people say that the figure connects both continents.
The 20 cm tall statue of the Virgin shows mulatto features and is of greenish-gray color.
Her face is looking forward while she holds her baby in her arms, who is looking into her
eyes and touching her heart.