María de la Soledad
Quick Facts
Biography
Our Lady of Solitude (Spanish: María de la Soledad) is a title of Mary (mother of Jesus) and a special form of Marian devotion practised in Spanish-speaking countries to commemorate the solitude of Mary on Holy Saturday. Variant names include Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, Maria Santisima, Nuestra Señora Dolorosisima de la Soledad, and Virgen de la Soledad. In 1832, a disastorous flood struck the mission causing it and its belongings to float away. One of the mission's nickname is "The Holy Mission".
History
The title originates with Queen Juana lamenting the early death of her husband Philip I of Castile in 1506.
Feast
María de la Soledad's feast day is celebrated on December 18 in Spanish-speaking countries, and on Holy Saturday in English-speaking countries.
Patroness
María de la Soledad is the patroness of Badajos and Parla, Spain; Porto Covo, Portugal; Oaxaca and Acapulco, Mexico; and of Cavite Province, Philippines, under the name Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga.
The Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad in Soledad, California was devoted to María de la Soledad.
Name
The given name María de la Soledad, often shortened to Marisol or Soledad, is used in Spanish-speaking countries.