ESBVM

On the 14th Oct 2006 a statue of Our Lady of Europe was enthroned in the Church of Our Lady of Dolours in the care of the Servite Friars in Kensington, London by the Rt.Revd Charles Caruana, Bishop of Gibraltar. This may have come about because of the visits to the church by many Gibraltarians coming to the various major hospitals along the Fulham Road. There is a small prayer shown:-

O God, the bestower of every blessing, you have favoured us with the sacred trust of honouring your beloved Son’s immaculate Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, as Our Lady of Europe. Grant us we pray you, that under her patronage we may arrive safely in our heavenly home. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God n, for ever and ever. Amen

This year is the seventh centenary of Our Lady of Europe, which is venerated in Gibraltar. The devotion of Our Lady in Gibraltar started as soon as the Spaniards captured Gibraltar from the Moors. It results from the Papal letter that King Ferdinand II of Spain started this devotion. At first, Our Lady was venerated in the lighthouse at Europa Point. During the British occupation the shrine of Our Lady suffered a lot. In 1864, the statue of Our Lady appeared again in Gibraltar after it was saved by a Spanish priest. Mgr John Scandello, Vicar General of Gibraltar, brought it back. Our Lady was known by the Gibraltarians as their patroness. Pope John Paul II declared Our Lady of Gibraltar patroness of all Europe and set May 5 as the feast day.

Hundreds of Catholic faithful and friends from Gibraltar and neighbouring Spanish location La Linea expressed their devotion to Our Lady of Europe on Monday 27th April 2009 in a first time ever cross-border procession,

A replica statue of Our Lady of Europe was presented to the people of La Linea as part of the 700th anniversary of the devotion to Our Lady of Europe and the culmination of the Jubilee year on Tuesday.29th April. It was an historic and moving moment as the Bishops of Gibraltar and from the Spanish city of Cadiz embraced at the frontier in the no mans land area as the statue was taken in procession across the frontier stopping all traffic for some 20 minutes.

The waiting 500-strong crowd on the Spanish side moved into the area, as the Gibraltarian faithful (some 200) cleared Spanish Customs, causing great commotion amidst much excitement. “Bienvenida a La Linea,” cried others in a spirit of welcome.

Special ceremonies were held on May 5, feast of Our Lady of Europe headed by the Cardinal Josè Saraiva Martins, Special Papal Envoy for the occasion.

The Bishop of Cadiz Don Antonio Ceballos Atienza, said “this is a singular moment which will have repercussions in the whole of Europe.”