The original church of Our Lady of the Rosary, “The Sailor”, had an unfortunate fate for two centuries, however, thanks to San Blas local’s faith, it has been rescued in the last years. Let’s learn about its history!
Since its construction in 1769, the Temple of the Rosary was affected by various events such as natural disasters and armed conflicts that led to its decline, however, it also had great moments of glory.
When galleons used to reach the Colonial port, cheerful cannon greetings and volleys were shot from San Basil’s Fort, celebrating the event with a singing of the Salve Regina inside its sanctuary located at Contaduria Mountain.
There was the brotherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary that contributed to the temple’s construction, there even was a frigate named after her, which was later identified as “The Princess” always carrying a sculpture of Holy Mary beneath the title. This frigate got to travel up to California, Alaska and Manila in the Philippines.
Photo via Mediakit.
Unfortunately, both the temple and the image suffered heavy damage, twice: In 1787 a thunderstorm caused a big fire, destroying the temple and calcining the image of the Rosary and in 1793, a thunderbolt tored off her right hand, the sheet and the key of the tabernacle, without touching the custody or the sacred vessels.
Along with the port’s closure in the late nineteenth century, came its total abandonment and decay, leaving nearly buried all its precious inheritance, until the arrival of the Quetzal Route in the new millennium, the former faith in the Virgin of the Rosary, resumed its yesteryear importance with her subsequent coronation in 2007.
Currently, this architectural and cultural gem gets all dressed up every October 7th, to commemorate the devotion of San Blas people to their spiritual protector and this year, you cannot miss the big celebration in her honor. Check out the program of activities and venture to discover this magical port!
#AllToBeDiscovered, #LikeSanBlas, #MeGustaSanBlas
