April 27: OUR LADY OF MONTSERRAT

Legend tells that in the year 880, on a Saturday night when the sun was going down over Montserrat, some boy shepherds saw a bright light coming down from the sky, accompanied by beautiful music. The following Saturday they returned with their parents. And the vision came to them again. On the following four Saturdays, the Rector of Olesa went with them. And everyone saw the vision.

The image of Our Lady of Montserrat, popularly known as La Moreneta (the Dark One), due to the dark colour of Her skin, is a truly beautiful 12th-century Romanesque polychrome carving. Pope Leo XIII proclaimed Our Lady of Montserrat Patron Saint of Catalonia in 1881. In 1947, the image was enthroned in a silver altarpiece, paid for by popular subscription and installed in the upper section of the basilica apse.

The figure of Our Lady stretches out Her right hand, which holds the globe, symbolising the cosmos. Our Lady nearly rests Her left hand on the Child’s shoulder, indicating that this omnipotent king is Her Son. With His right hand, the Child gives a blessing, whilst His left hand holds a pinecone, symbol of fertility and everlasting life.
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AUDIO SOURCE: PERSONAL RECORDING OF “Virolai” sung during the visit by the Basilica choir.

TEXT SOURCE: http://www.abadiamontserrat.cat

PHOTO SOURCES: VIDEOS ARE PERSONAL PROPERTY. OTHER PHOTOS FROM:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/File:MontserratMonastery01.…
De Misburg3014 – Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22225943