Coronation of Our Lady of La Leche, October 10, Feast day, October 11

New statue of Our of Our Lady of La Leche
before the crowning.

Today is the feast day of Our Lady of La Leche, October 11. It is a feast day on the Diocesan Calendar of St. Augustine, Florida. Since 2011 it has been a feast day in the diocese.  In 2019 the bishops of the United States raised this oldest Marian shrine to a national shrine. Visitors come from around the world to visit and pray to the nursing mother and her Divine Child.

Yesterday the new statue of Our Lady of La Leche was honored by a canonical crowning in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine at a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, Archbishop Metropolitan of Madrid, the representative of Pope Francis. This image of the nursing Madonna and Child's roots go back to Spain. The devotion to the Blessed Mother under her title of Our Lady of La Leche was brought to Florida in the late 1500s  by Franciscan priests. 

The image of the nursing mother of Jesus has been at the Shrine for over four hundred years. There have been slightly different representations of the image, but all show Mary nursing Jesus. This image has inspired devotion and love in many different people over the centuries, including the Timucuan natives of  northeast Florida. They were impressed with the humanity of God who became a little Child for love of all people.  So powerful did this image speak to them that many became Catholic Christians, and later in their history were martyred by the English for their deep Catholic faith.

Couples over the centuries have visited the Shrine and have turned to Our Lady of La Leche and asked her to intercede with her  Divine Son when faced with the sorrow of infertility. Many prayers were answered resulting in successful pregnancies; others found their answer in adoption; and still others found their answer in Christ's unique plan for them. Mothers sought out Our Lady of La Leche for safe deliveries of their babies and success in nursing a child. The Madonna turned away no one seeking help for family or personal challenges. There are documented miracles of her intercession, but more than that the Shrine is a place of peace and good will. Visitors comment on the peace that they experience when walking the grounds of the first permanent settlement in the United States referred to as the Sacred Acre by President John F. Kennedy. A name which remains with us still today.

I have left a link for you to view some or all the canonical coronation. You can skip to the actual crowning which is after the lengthy Spanish/English homily. The image below is the crowned Lady of La Leche and her Divine Son crowned.  I added my own video of the parade of the crowned statues when they brought Mother and Divine Child from the Cathedral Basilica to the Shrine grounds to place  them permanently in the historic chapel. I have a longer one but I have not been able so far to transfer the link via email. If you have the opportunity, I hope you will come and visit this beautiful shrine and share in the many blessings and graces it has to offer.

This is a picture after the crowned statue was placed in the historic chapel
on the grounds of the Shrine.

                            Short video on the statue on parade

Canonical Crowning of Our Lady of La Leche

Here is a simple, Spanish recipe taken from the feast day of St. Teresa of Avila which in on October 15. I don't think she minds my using it for Our Lady of La Leche since both are Spanish!

Pan de Santa Teresa

                                                                         (St. Teresa's Bread)

This is a perfect breakfast bread for all those who like French toast; it is a cousin of French toast!

INGREDIENTS                                                                        EQUIPMENT

 

2 Cups of milk                                                                            Measuring cups

3 Tbsp. sugar                                                                               Measuring spoons

1 Cinnamon stick                                                                        Bread Knife

1 Lemon peel                                                                               Lemon zester or peeler

1 Loaf of Italian or French bread                                                Small pan

3 Eggs                                                                                          Small bowl

Pinch of sale                                                                                Wire whisk

Olive oil or butter                                                                       Baking dish

Cinnamon sugar                                                                           Frying pan

                                                                                                      Strainer

                                                                                                      Tongs

DIRECTIONS:                                                                            SERVES: 3 - 4

1. Cut the loaf of bread into 12 slices 3/4 inch apiece. You may not use all the bread. Stale bread works well. Set aside.

2. Add milk, sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in small pan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the flavors are immersed throughout.

3. Place the slices of bread in a large baking dish and pour the milk through a strainer over the bread. Set aside.

4. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the salt. Be sure the eggs are well-beaten. With the tongs take one slice of bread and dip completely in the egg mixture. Repeat with each slice of bread. If necessary beat another egg(s) if needed to coat all 12 slices. Place in baking dish.

5. Heat frying pan to medium low. Add a few slices of coated bread at a time. Fry until golden brown on one side and then flip and finish cooking on the other side. Repeat until all slices are fried.

6. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, top with maple syrup, or spread your favorite jam. A dollop of whipped cream is always a treat!

Enjoy and Happy Feast of Our Lady of La Leche and St. Teresa of Avila!

                                                                        

Prayer to Our Lady of La Leche

There is no children's book that I am aware of at this time written about Our Lady of La Leche and her Divine Son in English. If I find one I will add it in the future.

Founder's Day St. Augustine, Celebration of the Nativity of Mary, 2023

Reenactors with lead priest Fr. Lopez assembling their places, 2023

Founder's Day in St. Augustine, Florida, is a very historic event, not only for the city and state of Florida but for the entire country. It is the first and oldest permanent settlement in the United States founded on September 8, 1565. 

Bob and I attended the event this morning as we did last year and the year before. The reenactment of the claiming of La Florida for God and for Spain and the naming of the city for St. Augustine occurs on a weekend or holiday closest to September 8. At the end of this post, I am including an abbreviated video of this year's reenactment of Captain General Pedro Menendez as he claims La Florida.

Each year a reenactment takes place followed by Mass in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A large crowd gathers on the land called Nombre de Dios by the Spanish, the village of Seloy by the Timucuan natives, and now is the home of the oldest Marian Shrine in the United States, Our Lady of La Leche. 

Today before Mass began, Dr. Mary Soha, one of the postulators for the cause of the 59 martyrs of the La Florida Missions spoke of the closing of the Diocesan Phase of the Beatification Cause and Mass of Thanksgiving to take place on October 12, 2023, in Tallahassee with Bishop William Wack. To read more about these courageous Catholic men and women in Florida's earliest days Martyrs of La Florida

It takes many people, volunteers of various groups and organizations both Church and Civic to put on this great event. Many clergy, religious sisters, and lay organizations and the staff of Our Lady of La Leche Shrine work together with Bishop Erik Pohlmeier to see that the celebration of  Mass is beautifully accomplished and coordinated with civic leaders.

Following Mass a special dedication of the bridge which connects the Church of Our Lady of La Leche and the Shrine Museum/Gift Shop to the "Sacred Acre" so named by President John F. Kennedy and the site of the very early days of the life of the priests, officials, natives, soldiers, and families of 1565 took place . The bridge was dedicated to Dr. Michael Gannon, author of many books on the early history of Florida, a well-known one is The Cross in the Sand.

Neighbor to Mission Nombre de Dios and the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche is the Fountain of Youth. Part of the festivities for Founder's Day is a Thanksgiving Meal which St. Augustine prides itself on being the FIRST to have in the United States dating from September 8, 1565! The Fountain of Youth, so called because the legend has it that Ponce de Leon was searching for rejuvenating waters, is the site where the first thanksgiving meal is reenacted every year.  

Here are a few pictures from this year and last year with the brief video at the end. Come and visit St. Augustine. Founder's Day and the Nativity of Mary are good times to see the city and visit the Shrine and celebrate Mary's birthday!

                           Our Lady of La Leche, Holy Mary, Pray for Us!

Dr. Mary Soha, 2023

Bishop Erik Pohlmeier, 2023

Bishop Erik Pohlmeier, 2022

 

Dr. Mary Soha, 2022

Feast Day of Our Lady of La Leche, First National Marian Shrine in the United States, October 11

 Last year was a very special year at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. The devotion to Our Lady under her title of Our Lady of La Leche received a special honor from the Holy See called a Canonical Coronation. You can read my post from last year  Canonical Coronation

While writing that post, I was not able to find a children's book to recommend for families to purchase for  children about the shrine or the Blessed Mother under this title. During the last few months I have learned of this book, The Little Pilgrim Kid's Companion to The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. You can go online at The Little Pilgrim Kid's Companion to make a purchase. It is an excellent companion for a child while visiting the Shrine with activities and exercises for various ages. It includes: guided prayer activities, coloring pages, quizzes, and information that will encourage your child to learn and grow in their faith.

May Our Lady of La Leche bless you and your families. 

Happy Feast Day, Our Lady of La Leche! Pray for and intercede for us.

Happy Birthday Mary! Founder's Day in the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, September 8, 1565

Happy Birthday, Mary! September 8th is the day we celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. December 8th is the day we celebrate her immaculate conception. September 8th is nine months later. This is truly a happy day for all of us. Mary accepted willingly the Angel Gabriel's annunciation that she was chosen to be the mother of the savior of the world.

Pictured to the left is a photo of the young virgin Mary with her mother, St. Anne. I love this statue of the two, mother and daughter. The statue is from my hometown parish which is St. Augustine Catholic Church, Montpelier, Vermont.

There is no mention of Mary's mother in the Scriptures, but the Proto-Evangelium of St. James, although not an inspired writing tells us the mother of Mary was named Anne which means grace.

I now live in St. Augustine, Florida where September 8 is also known as Founder's Day. It is called Founder's Day because Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded St. Augustine on September 8, 1565. He named the site St. Augustine because he had sighted land on August 28, 1565, the feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, after an exhausting and turbulent oceanic crossing from Spain. Fr. Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, the fleet's chaplain, offered the first parish Mass on September 8, 1565, when Pedro Menendez came ashore and claimed La Florida for God and for Spain. The Mass was held on what is now called the Sacred Acre. When the Mass was finished, Menendez invited all who had attended, priests, soldiers, women and children, and the Timucuan natives to a meal of thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving meal was  held here on the grounds in 1565. The name Sacred Acre is an expression coined by President John F. Kennedy upon receiving copies of historic documents pertaining to St. Augustine in  November of 1963. The grounds are the site of the first mission, Mission Nombre de Dios, Name of God.

Reenactors, Founders Day, September 3, 2022

Bishop Erik Pohlmeier

This past Saturday, September 3rd, Founder's Day was celebrated. This was the yearly reenactment of the claiming of St. Augustine for God and for Spain by Pedro Menendez. Reenactors dressed in original costumes reenacted the historic scenes. After the reenactment, Bishop Erik Pohlmeier, newly consecrated bishop of St. Augustine, offered Mass. Many attended this Mass which is offered on the rustic altar, thought to be the original spot where Fr. Lopez offered the first Mass. Every year people throughout the diocese make it a point to attend Founder's Day recognizing this historic event and embracing the love and devotion of the Blessed Virgin under her title Our Lady of La Leche, a devotion brought by the Franciscan missionaries to the young Spanish colony about 1600. In 2019 the Bishops of the United States recognized the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche as a national shrine, the oldest Marian Shrine in the United States. October 11 is the Feast Day of Our Lady of La Leche.

    

                                                                                   

Dr. Mary Soha

Every year, Dr. Mary Soha pictured to the above gives a talk on the history of Our Lady of La Leche on the Shrine grounds. You can find her talks also on Youtube, EWTN, or by googling the Knights of Columbus talks by Dr. Mary Soha. Besides speaking on Our Lady of La Leche , she also speaks and is the Vice-postulator on the Florida Martyrs. I encourage you to check her talks out. She has a wealth of information on our Catholic history here in Florida.

Happy Birthday, Mary! 

Truly you are the mother of all of us. You were once a young girl and as such we honor your birth and your childhood under the loving and watchful eyes of your mother, St. Anne. 

The Royal Family Reenactors, Founders Day, September 3, 2022

Bishop Erik Pohlmeier giving a blessing
after Founder's Day Mass

 

May Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary

May Crowning at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche

May is the month of Mary. Many parishes throughout the U.S. have May crownings in their churches and schools. Recently I heard one woman remark that she had not seen a May crowning for many years. While it is true this devotion is not as common as it used to be. It nevertheless does take place in many parishes and also in family homes. 

The picture to the left was taken on May 13 at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche after the young girl in her first communicant dress crowned the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. It was a lovely outdoor ceremony attended by fifty people, some home schoolers and their parents, attendees from noon Mass, and some of the Shrine staff with Fr. Erlin. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin was prayed first and then the crowning. Later Fr. Erlin and Sheila brought the statue of Our Lady of Fatima into the church where Adoration was taking place. The statue was placed so the adorers could venerate Our Lady of Fatima on her feast day, May 13, while they adored Our Lord in the Monstrance.

Fr. Erlin with Sheila, Docent at Shrine Museum

A few years ago, Fr. William Saunders of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, replied to a question regarding the history of the May Crowning. Here is the link to his informative answer. I think you will find it helpful. background on May Crowning

The May Crowning is a tribute to Our Blessed Mother that we should work to promote and/or support in our parishes when we have the opportunity. Devotional traditions such as the May Crowning of Mary are rooted in deep truths about our faith and make present the truth in a concrete and appealing manner. For example we honor the Blessed Virgin in song, prayers, and gestures such as crowning a statue of her with flowers, and in turn we are uplifted by the knowledge that Mary recognizes and appreciates our loving efforts from her home in heaven and showers us with many graces.

We can have a May Crowning in our homes, too. It can be very simple with a homemade crown, a song, and a short prayer or a longer one if you wish. The Memorare Memorare or Hail Mary Hail Mary are two short prayers to Mary that might be prayed. A longer prayer but a very beautiful one is the Litany of the Virgin Mary. Litany of the Virgin Mary    

Here is a very simple crown I made for the grandchildren to use to crown our statue of Mary.

It is a very short ceremony we have in our home. I love the song Bring Flowers of the Rarest. We play the song on Youtube and all join in singing it. Below is a picture of Vivian crowning Our Lady a few years ago. Last year Maddie crowned her here in St. Augustine. This year, we will do our home May Crowning in June when Patrick and Becca's family visits. 

These are the wired roses you can get from the craft stores that carry fabric and other decorative materials. You can see how the crown is made up of roses twisted together and then a few ribbons are added to flow down the back of the crown. After we crown the statue, I keep the crown on until the next year, removing it just before our next May Crowning! 

Bring Flowers of the Rarest

On This Day O Beautiful Mother

Vivian crowning the Blessed Virgin.  Woodbridge, VA

While there are only a few days left of May, let us join together honoring the Blessed Mother and praying for her help in the many situations that face our world these days.

  Mary conceived without sin, Pray for

    us who have recourse to thee.

Jesuit Martyrs of Virginia with Father Andrew Fisher

This marker located on Colonial Parkway on the way to the Jamestown Settlement Museum from Williamsburg attests to the brave attempts of Jesuit priests, brothers, and a novice from Spain to bring the knowledge and love of Christ to the  Powhatan natives. 

A few weeks ago, Bob and I were in Richmond and  Williamsburg. I had heard of the Jesuit martyrs from the Spanish history of our new home state, Florida.

. 

Virginia is a state where we lived 28 years and have come to love it. We enjoy returning to visit family and friends. I was excited to learn of the marker which acknowledges the brave Spanish missionaries who for the love of Christ attempted to settle in Virginia in 1570  -  37 years before the English arrived in Jamestown!!!

For those of you who read this blog and are from Virginia or pass through the state, I encourage you to learn more about the Spanish missionaries who sought to bring the Catholic faith to the New World. It is a bit of history that has been obscured but gradually is being brought to light. 

Ponce de Leon had discovered Pasqua La Florida in 1513 for Spain. Many visit the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida, attracted by the age-old story of his search for rejuvenating waters. What they find is an attraction devoted to the recognition of Ponce de Leon's brief stay on the land known as the village of Seloy, home to the Timucuan natives, and now part of the city of St. Augustine. Ponce de Leon never formed a permanent settlement for Spain in this northeast quadrant of Florida. He left with his crew and attempted unsuccessfully to land and settle the western side of Florida.

Between 1513 and 1565 the Spanish tried many times to establish a permanent settlement in Florida. In 1565, Pedro Menendez, a naval officer of the highest rank, was asked by King Philip II to rebuke the advances of France in the northeast quadrant of Florida, a land claimed by the Spanish with Ponce de Leon's arrival in 1513. Menendez was to secure the land for Spain, establish a permanent settlement, and bring the Catholic faith to the indigenous people.

Menendez with his crew of sailors, their families, and five priests landed in the harbor of St. Augustine. Fr. Lopez the senior priest offered a Mass of thanksgiving upon the arrival of Pedro Menendez and his company on September 8, 1565 along with some Timucuan natives who attended the Mass. At the end of the Mass of Thanksgiving, Menendez invited all to a meal of Thanksgiving. A date which entitles St. Augustine to the claim of the first Thanksgiving meal!

The establishment of a permanent settlement on this land today known as St. Augustine, Florida, was no easy feat. There were many obstacles in the way to a successful settlement. The land was sandy and inhospitable to agriculture. The knowledge and skills necessary for cultivating the land were still to be learned. Many of the natives initially helpful were angered by the treatment of some of the Spanish soldiers towards them. Relations between the natives and the Spanish as a result of this mistreatment became uneasy.

Menendez realized he needed more priests than the few that came with him to minister to the soldiers and their families and to evangelize the natives. He first reached out to Fr. Francis Borgia, S.J., the Superior General of  the Jesuits in Spain. It was this request for additional missionary priests that inspired Fr. Segura and others in 1568 to come to Pasqua La Florida a land whose claim was thought to reach from the tip of Florida to Nova Scotia and westward. 

It was to the upper coastline where the Chesapeake Bay flowed out to the Atlantic and the Powhatan natives lived that Jesuit Fathers Baptista Segura and Luis Quiros with Brothers Gabriel de Solis, Juan Baptista Mendez, Gabriel Gomez, Pedro de Linares, Cristobal Redondo, and novice Sancho de Zaballos traveled. A young teenager from St. Elena Island named Alonso de Olmos begged to come with them. Don Luis was their guide, a Powhatan native who had in 1561 been captured and taken to Spain and Mexico. Embracing the Catholic faith, Don Luis seemed to be the ideal guide to show the Jesuits the way and smooth relations with the natives. 

I will let Fr. Andrew Fisher, pastor at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Annandale, Virginia, tell you the rest of the story. You can click on this link to hear an enthralling adventure, Fr. Andrew Fisher

                                         The feast of St. Augustine is August 28. It is a special day

                                   for the city of St. Augustine, Florida. I hope many of you will 

                                   come and visit St. Augustine which has the first Catholic parish in

                                  the United States and the oldest Marian Shrine, Our Lady of La Leche. 

                                                            St. Augustine, Pray for Us!