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OUR LADY OF THE CLOUDS
Prayer to Our Lady of the Clouds
Oh, Miraculous Virgin of the Clouds! You who are the mother of Jesus and our Mother, we welcome you so that this is your home, today we salute you and venerate you, with all our hearts, that on this sacred day none of our acts and actions may be to your displeasure since we only want to honor you in the same way as the heavenly angels do in heaven, today we praise and bless you so that your hand rests on all the people who are full of justice, and so that we can serve you with faith and devotion as your true children, Amen.
Our Lady of the Clouds is a Marian devotion of Ecuador of Latin-American origin. On December 29, 1696, a procession was called to pray for the healing of Bishop D. Sancho de Andrade y Figueroa, the gravely ill ordinary of Quito. About 500 people participated and an image of Our Lady of Guapulo was carried among the crowd. As the praying group reached the Church of Santa Clara, a sign was given to kneel down and sing the Glory Be. At that precise moment, the figure of Our Lady appeared in the skies, a figure of "great proportion" and "as if it was drawn by clouds." "The Virgin, the Virgin," exclaimed D. José de Ulloa y la Catena, who led the procession. Mesmerized, the participants saw, hovering in the air, the image of Mary, a crown on her head, in her right hand a bunch of lilies, and the Child on her left arm. According to some of the people present, the apparition resembled the image of Our Lady de la Antigua, a painting located in the Figueroa Chapel of the Cathedral.
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Whatever the resemblance, the local ordinary miraculously recovered his health, and not only approved the devotion to Our Lady of the Clouds but also had an altar in her honor erected in the Cathedral of Quito. The devotion spread in Ecuador and eventually disseminated to Peru. Over time, zeal for Our Lady of the Clouds diminished. A revival occurred in 1797 thanks to the centenary of the apparition, and again in 1890 due to the healing of a priest from Cuenca.
To continue this wonderful Latin-American tradition of Our Lady of the Clouds, our Parish celebrates her Feast Day each year on January 1 with Solemn Mass followed by a parade to show our devotion to the Blessed Mother. All are welcome to join the group of Our Lady of the Clouds. If you would like more information, please contact:
Giovanni Argudo
Email: lanube@olanj.org