MIAMI— Among the flames and the people who fled in terror from the fires in Lahaina, on the island of Maui, Hawaii, the slenderness of the Maria Lanakila (Our Lady of Victory) church stood out, which was not affected by the fire, in what Many consider it a miracle. The church, which emerged justly victorious from a tragedy that mourned the United States, was established in 1846 by a Eudist priest, and precisely this August 19 is celebrated on the day of Saint John Eudes.
But there is more, in this church there is an image very dear to Venezuelans. It is an altarpiece of Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, which was taken by a group of Venezuelans to the church, where the figure was enthroned.
A video shared on the Instagram page called Bella Señora de Coromoto highlights the impressive history of this church. The page seeks to spread worldwide devotion to Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, and this recent example adds to a history of miracles and blessings.
The disaster in Hawaii leaves so far a balance of 111 dead. President Joe Biden will travel to the area next week to meet with survivors and rescuers working on the fires that have devastated the archipelago and left more than a hundred dead, the White House reported on Wednesday, while the names of the first victims of the tragedy.
A church with a lot of history
According to him portal Maria Lanakila Church, which means Our Lady of Victory, is located in downtown Lahaina, which is the Cradle of Faith on the island of Maui. The Church was established in 1846 by Father Aubert of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Mary and Jesus. It was officially inaugurated on September 8, 1858.
On May 4, 1873, the stone church that stands today was completed while Father Leonore was in charge. This structure replaced the old adobe building and thatched hut chapels that originally served the community of Maria Lanakila.
In 1918, Father Bruno renovated the original walls of the church, making improvements and additions to the original stone structure. With Father Rudolph it was further renovated, including cleaning and putting up the paintings. These paintings have a certain mystery and are believed to be a gift from some Alii (chief), but no one knows for sure. They were possibly gifts from King Kalakaua or his sister, Queen Liliuokalani.
The Maria Lanakila bells have a story of their own. The original set of bells never made it to Lahaina, having been lost in South America on their way from France. The second set of bells, inscribed with the name of Maria Lanakila, reached Hilo and stayed there. The third pair of bells finally made it, and they are the ones that call Mass today.
More about the Group of the Beautiful Lady
It’s a cluster of “committed young lay people who direct their efforts to promote devotion to our most holy mother, María de Coromoto”. They focus on showing as many as possible the beautiful story of our Lady of Coromoto, the Venezuelan virgin.
As the page indicates, “we are concerned about the lack of knowledge that the Venezuelan Catholic population has in terms of historical information about our mother, from there was born the idea of including in this web portal all the necessary information so that all the devotees of María de Coromoto can make it known here and anywhere in the world”.
Documentary “Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela”
FOUNTAIN: With information from AFP
