The Apostles of Christ began spreading the gospel message all around the known world shortly after the crucifixion, resurrection and then ascension of their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. They spread the message throughout Israel and then conquered the entire Roman Empire.
In the village of Saragossa in the Northeastern region of Spain, James, the apostle had traveled far to bring the message of the gospel to the farthest corners of the world. Having been on such a long journey, the Apostle James became dispirited because he felt that his mission had been a failure.
The Manifestation of Our Lady of the Pillar
While in deep prayer, St. James was lamenting what he perceived as failure when the Blessed Holy Virgin appeared to him. She handed him a small wooden statue of herself along with an inexplicable column of wooden jasper.
The Message of Our Lady of the Pillar
Instructing St. James to build a church (not unlike St. Francis of Assisi was instructed to rebuild San Damiano), the Blessed Virgin Mary said, “This place is to be my house, and this image and column shall be the title and altar of the temple that you shall build."
On special occasions, the wooden statue and jasper column are brought out for public viewing. Our Lady of the Pillar’s chapel was the first church to be dedicated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was built about a year after the apparition when St. James sought to fulfill her wishes.
St. James was the first of the twelve apostles to be martyred for preaching the gospel. It occurred in 44 A.D. by Herod Agrippa after he returned to his home of Jerusalem. St. James was buried in a field, and was not rediscovered until eight centuries later when a holy hermit noticed an unusual star formation over a portion of that same field. When they discovered the grave of St. James, they built the Compostella Cathedral on the spot. "Compostella" translates into "starry field."
Other fascinating apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary include Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and Our Lady of the Rosary.
Sources:
- Those who Saw Her: Apparitions of Mary, by Catherine M. Odell.
- Catherine Laboure and the Modern Apparitions of Our Lady, by Abbe Omer Englebert.
- Miraculous Images: Photographs Containing God's Fingerprints, by Marilynn Hughes.
- Medjugorje: Light for the World, by Pietro Jacopini.
- Our Lady Comes to Garabandal, by Joseph A. Pelletier, A.A.
- The Wonder of Guadalupe, by Francis Johnston.
- The Glories of Czestochowa and Jasna, To the Priests Our Lady's Beloved Sons, by Marian Movement of Priests.
- Our Lady of America, by Sister Mildred Mary Neuzil.
- The Thunder of Justice, by Ted and Maureen Flynn.
