AMERICA/CHILE - Chilean Church celebrates Our Lady of Carmel, Queen and Mother of Chile, on the centenary of her coronation

by Laura Gómez Ruiz

Santiago de Chile (Fides News Agency) – Today, Thursday, July 16, the Church in Chile celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Carmel, one of the Marian devotions most deeply rooted in the country's spiritual history.
On this occasion, Cardinal Fernando Chomali, Archbishop of Santiago, has invited the faithful to gather at the Templo Votivo de Maipú to honour Our Lady of Carmel, venerated by Chilean Catholics as Queen and Mother of Chile.
"This Thursday, July 16, we will make our pilgrimage to the temple of Maipú to celebrate our Queen and Mother," the Cardinal said. The Holy Mass, presided over by the Archbishop of Santiago, will be celebrated at 12:00 noon local time.
Cardinal Chomali also recalled the spiritual significance of this Marian devotion: "Veneration, respect and affection for the Virgin of Carmel reflect our deepest desires: purity, humility, service, holiness and concern for others. In other words: always doing the will of God, with love, with great love."
Every July 16, Catholics celebrate the liturgical memorial of the Virgin of Mount Carmel, also known as Our Lady of Carmel or Our Lady of Mount Carmel, one of the most widely invoked Marian titles in the Catholic Church. Rooted in the biblical Mount Carmel and the Carmelite tradition, devotion to Our Lady of Carmel has spread throughout the world as an expression of trust in Mary's maternal protection.
In Chile, this devotion has acquired a distinctive historical and spiritual dimension. The Virgin of Carmel was proclaimed Patroness of Chile and solemnly crowned Queen and Mother of Chile in December 1926, a gesture that expressed the profound bond between the faith of the Chilean people and Mary's maternal presence throughout the nation's history.

This year's celebration is part of the commemorative journey for the centenary of the coronation of the Virgin of Carmel, which the faithful communities are celebrating throughout 2026 under the theme: "Mother of Chile, protect us and lead us to your Son, Jesus." The centenary program includes a wide range of liturgical and pastoral initiatives for parishes, local communities, schools and ecclesial movements.

In a letter addressed to Catholic communities, Father Rodrigo Cordero Torres, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Ministry, together with Macarena Mackenna Rueda, president of the National Confraternity of Carmel, presented the calendar of events that will accompany the commemoration in the coming months. The message describes the coronation of the Virgin of Carmel as "a living sign that has shaped Chile's spiritual identity" and says that the anniversary offers an opportunity "to look back with gratitude on our history and to renew our commitment to continue walking as a Church under Mary's protection."
One of the central events will be the Mass for the Centenary of the Coronation of the Virgin of Carmel, to be celebrated by the bishops of Chile on July 30 in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago as an act of thanksgiving and prayer for the country. The program also includes other national celebrations, pilgrimages and Marian gatherings throughout the year.

The commemoration of the 1926 coronation has also provided an opportunity to deepen reflection on the meaning of this devotion. During a recent celebration, Bishop Galo Fernández of Talca said that the Virgin of Carmel "has been present throughout the history of our homeland," in family life, popular traditions and the spirituality of the Chilean people. The bishop recalled that the coronation expressed the Church's desire to continue accompanying the life of the country through the profession of faith and service to others.

Brought to the Americas through the Carmelite tradition and spread during the Spanish colonial period, devotion to Our Lady of Carmel was deeply embraced by the Chilean people. It became firmly rooted from the earliest centuries of the country's history, giving rise to numerous expressions of popular spirituality and communities dedicated to the Virgin of Carmel, helping to establish this Marian title at the heart of Chilean Catholic spirituality.

During Chile's struggle for independence, devotion to the Virgin of Carmel assumed particular national significance. According to tradition, following the Battle of Maipú, a solemn vow was made in 1818 that eventually led to the construction of the Shrine of Maipú as an expression of gratitude for Mary's protection. Thus, a Marian devotion introduced during the colonial era became a lasting source of consolation for the Chilean people, became deeply intertwined with the country's history, and evolved into an essential part of Chile's religious identity. Since then, the shrine has become one of the nation's foremost Marian pilgrimage destinations. (Fides News Agency, 16/7/2026)

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