LA MACANA, CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS, Mexico City

The statue of Our Lady of Macana was brought from Toledo, Spain, by Franciscan missionaries in 1596. She is much loved and venerated by the people of Mexico City where she finds her home in the Church of San Francisco in the historical area of the city. The small image (it is about 20” in height) is placed in a prominent position in the church on a side wall near the main altar. She is known for her many miracles of healing. One such famous one is the curing of a ten-year-old child of paralysis in 1961.

The church of San Francisco is the oldest in the city and was founded by the “Twelve Apostles,” the first 12 Franciscan friars who arrived in 1524 to bring the faith to the newly conquered territory of New Spain. Their leader was the saintly Fray Martin de Valencia. This church was known as the “Mother” Church of all the Franciscan churches in continental America.

All went well until Aug. 10, 1680. On that day an insurrection arose because of the abuses by some of the Spanish laypeople (not on the part of the clergy, however) toward the indigenous people and several soldiers and missionaries were killed. Even Our Lady of Macana suffered from several golpes (hits) to her face. The friars, in time, restored the famous statue and she was placed at another convent where she resided until Jan. 26, 1755. During the first persecutions of the church in Mexico the Franciscans were expelled from their convent in 1861 and took the statue with them for safe-keeping. She was hidden away in several locations during this time. She was returned to her home at San Francisco in Mexico City in 1949.

The visitor to San Francisco will notice a number of “ex-votos” near the statue of La Macana. These are small drawings or photos from grateful recipients to thank Our Lady of Macana for her blessings and miracles. This is not surprising: She is, after all, known as Our Lady of Miracles!