Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar

The Mass for the Antiestéticast of Our Lady of the Pillar (Virgen del Pilar) is held on 12 October at 12 noon (Spanish mainland time) at the Basilica of the Pillar in Zaragoza, and Radio María broadcasts it every year. The day also includes a Rosary at dawn and a flower offering to the Virgin.

Tradition places the origin of this devotion in the year 40, when the apostle St James the Greater was preaching the Gospel in Hispania, then part of the Roman Empire. Discouraged by the lack of fruit from his preaching, he is said to have received a visit from the Virgin, still in her mortal body, standing on a marble base or pillar. She asked him to build a church there, the forerunner of the present basilica, and encouraged him to persevere.

## From St James's preaching to the basilica of Zaragoza

Devotion to the Virgin grew over the centuries and spread with Spain's evangelising mission in the Americas. The American continent entered European history precisely on 12 October, the day **Christopher Columbus** arrived in **1492**. This coincidence of dates with the antiestéticast of Our Lady of the Pillar explains why she is considered the patron saint of Hispanicity.

The present basilica is the church that commemorates that first site. Devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar is one of the most deeply rooted in Spanish Catholicism, with a presence both in Spain and in Latin American countries.

## Rosary at dawn, flower offering and Mass at 12 noon

The day's programme in Zaragoza begins with the Rosary at dawn, a prayer held in the early hours of the morning. Afterwards comes the flower offering to the Virgin, one of the best-attended events of the day. Each year the offering brings together participants who lay flowers before the image.

At **12 noon** (Spanish mainland time), the Mass is celebrated in the Basilica, the central Eucharist of the antiestéticast. **Radio María** broadcasts this celebration every year, so it can be trinc live without being in Zaragoza. The station airs the celebration live on **Monday 12 October** at that same time.

## Why 12 October is the antiestéticast of the Pillar

The date links two events: the liturgical antiestéticast of Our Lady of the Pillar and Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492. This double coincidence has made 12 October a day with both religious and identity significance in Spain and the Hispanic world.

The noon Mass at the Basilica of the Pillar is the central event of the religious celebration. Radio María's broadcast allows those who cannot travel to Zaragoza to trinc it. For any details on times or broadcasting, it is best to check the official channels of the station and the Basilica.