Tuesday 8 September 2009

The Wounded Madonna

When I was back in the UK during the English summer this year I was pleased to see a small statue which I had ordered for my mother from the English College, Valladolid, Spain, where I trained for the priesthood.
The College's great treasure is a fifteenth century statue of Our Lady which belonged to a church in Cadiz but which was mutilated by Drakes' soldiers in 1586 and has been venerated by English seminarians in Valladolid since 1600. She is called Our Lady Vulnerata. The original statue was very badly damaged by the English soldiers in Cadiz; they hacked the Christ-child from her lap and cut deep scars into her face.

I ordered one of these statues and had it deleivered to my mother who was very moved to receive this miniature replica of the actual statue which is about three feet tall. I placed a CTS pamphlet next to the miniature so you can gauge its size - about seven inches tall.

In Valladolid, Our Lady Vulnerata is still honoured each week with prayers of reparation and prayers seeking her intercession for the conversion of England.

Our Lady Vulnerata, pray for us.

1 comment:

Flabellum said...

The Oratory School near Reading has a small statue of Our Lady rescued after desecration during the Spanish Civil War, though I am not aware of any special cultus there.