Story of Our Lady of Hope of Macarena from Seville, Spain

 

The venerated image of Our Lady of Hope Macarena is of unknown author, being attributed to several sculptors. What is taken as certain is that it is a work made in the XVII C.

In March, 1881, Emilio Pizarro y Cruz undertook a restoration "of the body of the Virgin, made the mannequin and arms, eyelashes, mended the tears and restored some slight damages".

In March 1884, was carried through a new restoration of the Image of the Most Holy Virgin of Hope Macarena, on which they set new eyelashes. On December 18, 1925, the first Besamanos (A ceremony to kiss the hand of a Virgin), of Our Lady of Hope Macarena was held.

On February 24, 1936, the image of the Virgin of Hope is secretly moved from the Parish Church of St. Giles to the private house of D. Antonio Román Villa, at 6 Orfila St., fearing that St. Giles´s Parish Church might be set on fire.

During the Spanish Civil War, she was protected form desecration and vandalism by putting her in a coffin-like case and buried; these series of protection was done by her hermandad, the well known  Hermandad dela Macarena of Seville, which giving the image a very delicate and good care. In 1978, Francisco Arquillo Torres made a new complete restoration of the image.

Picture of the chapel where the famous statue of Our Lady of Hope of Macarena is venerated in Seville, Spain.

 

You can see a bruise on the image's cheek.  My Spanish friends tell me that it came from a drunk man who once threw a beer bottle at her and hit her on the cheek.  It left the bruise that you can still see on the statue now.  According to these same Spanish friends, some artists have attempted to cover over the bruise on Our Lady's cheek, but have never been successful since the bruise opens up again miraculously as soon as they finish the repair job. 

After the drunk man became sober, he repented for his attack on Our Lady.  In reparation, he decided to put chains on his feet and carry a cross in front of the Macarena during Holy Week.

 

 

This is a picture of the the only exact life-size copy of Our Lady of Hope of Macarena in existence, which we are honored to have at the headquarters of TFP-America Needs Fatima in Spring Grove, PA.