Our Lady of Coromoto, patroness of Venezuela
She is venerated both in the city of Guanare, where she appeared approximately 350 years ago, and throughout the country.
When the city of Guanare was founded in 1591, the indigenous people who lived there fled into the forest.
One day in 1652, the Indian chief Coromoto and his wife were crossing a stream when they saw a Lady of an extraordinary beauty who said to them in their language: “Go to the house of the Europeans and ask for Baptism.” A Spanish man was going by and the chief told him what had happened. Juan Sánchez asked Coromoto to go with the whole tribe in a week so that Juan could teach them everything they needed to be baptized. The whole tribe went and was baptized, except Coromoto, who thought he did not want to lose his independence and command. Coromoto wanted to escape but, when he was leaving, the Lady appeared to him and his whole family again.
The chief shot an arrow at her, but the Virgin disappeared, leaving Coromoto with a piece of paper with her image.
The chief fled to the forest, but a poisonous snake bit him. He then turned to God and asked for Baptism. As soon as he was baptized, he became an evangelizer for the people.
Your turn:
- Have you ever seen something that obviously seemed to be the will of God, but you rejected it?
- How did you come to accept it in the end?
