Our Lady of Suyapa for the year 2024 is celebrated/observed on Friday, February 3rd. There are until the next observance.

On February 3, a feast honors Our Lady of Suyapa (Honduras). This is the official day of the Virgin of Suyapa, who is depicted by a cedarwood figure of the Virgin Mary, Honduras’ most popular religious symbol.

πŸ“† When is Our Lady of Suyapa?

This year, Our Lady of Suyapa is on February 3rd. It is the 1st Friday in February; in 2024, it is on Saturday.

Countdown to Our Lady of Suyapa

β†’ Did you know: On one of those occasions, the statue was stripped of all the expensive metals and stones that had been used to embellish it and left in a restaurant’s men’s room.

You can also see all fun things you didn’t know about and facts about February 3, 2023.

πŸ“œ History of Our Lady of Suyapa

According to the most common version of the Our Lady of Suyapa narrative, the statue was miraculously discovered by a worker named Alejandro Colindres. Alejandro was on his way back from clearing the cornfields at PiligΓΌian Mountain when he and the eight-year-old child he was traveling with decided to stop for the night. Awoken from his sleep with a searing ache in his side, he grabbed the item in the dark and flung it away, only to find it back in his bed when he returned to it. When he awoke the next morning, he realized the object was a statue of the Virgin Mary, which he took back to his mother’s house. The statue is claimed to have remained in place for twenty years after it was discovered.

Our Lady of Suyapa is lovingly known as’ La Morenita, ‘which translates as’ Dear Black One,’since she is carved into cedarwood and was discovered wearing a dark mantle. Pope Pius XI proclaimed her the “Patroness of Honduras,” and a basilica in her honor was built next to the church to accommodate the throngs that gathered on the day of her feast.

β˜‘οΈ Our Lady of Suyapa facts

βœ… The statue was carved in the 1700s
The sculpture is said to have been done by a devout but inexperienced artist and is smaller than most people expect, measuring only 2.5 inches.

βœ… The statue has a military title
Because of the visions that soldiers had of the monument, Our Lady of Suyapa was named Captain-General of Honduras’ Armed Forces.

βœ… The Football War ended because of it
The statue is credited with bringing the football war between El Salvador and Honduras to a close.

✨ Things to do on Our Lady of Suyapa

⚑ Visit the Basilica on feast day
The ideal way to honor Our Lady of Suyapa Day is to go to the basilica on that day. You will not only be able to visit the statue, but you will also be able to join in on the mass.

⚑ Spend the day in prayer
If you are a Christian, this day provides an opportunity to put your religion into practice via prayer. Even if you are not religious, you can mark the day by learning about the history of the monument.

⚑ Donate to the caretakers
The statue’s caretakers are lay people who look after it throughout the year and accompany it on its tour across Honduras before the feast. Their efforts sometimes go unappreciated, so making a contribution to them or the chapel is one way to express your gratitude.

πŸ“… Our Lady of Suyapa Observances

YEAR DATE DAY
2024 February 3 Saturday
2025 February 3 Monday
2026 February 3 Tuesday
2027 February 3 Wednesday
2028 February 3 Thursday

Discover all February holidays, including Religious and other Catholic holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and fun facts about Our Lady of Suyapa. So be sure to check back soon.