OUR MOTHER MARY WALKS THROUGH THE DESERT

For 100 years, our homeland has been under the protection and care of the Mother of Christ, under the title of Our Lady of Carmel. She was crowned Queen and patroness of the Chilean people, and since then, all of Chile—especially on July 16—pays homage to the Mother of Heaven. In northern Chile, in a desert town called La Tirana—known for a shrub called the tamarugal—thousands of people gather from all over the country to pay homage with songs and dances in an atmosphere of gratitude and joy. It doesn’t matter if it’s sunny, cold, or if we’re hungry; all that matters is being there and saying “Thank you” for accompanying us on our journey, Queen of the Tamarugal.

This year we celebrated the centennial of the coronation of Mary, which causes the desert to be adorned with flowers and life, giving thanks for all that our Mother Mary intercedes for before the Father and the Son. Although there is a religious syncretism—a blend of indigenous and Christian traditions—there are glimpses of a living God who walks alongside the people in their pain and struggles, as they seek, amid the light and darkness of life, the presence of a God who is both Father and Mother and who never leaves us alone.

We have no doubt that the Mother of God is the great evangelizer of the northern part of the country, which lacks clergy and religious life; her protection and intercession before God allow us to keep the flame of faith alive from every corner of the homeland, invoking “La Chinita,” who fills this people with love.

Comunidad Colegio Femenino Madre del Rosario

Antofagasta – CHile