The next two Marian Spanish Masses at St. Patrick’s Cathedral will honor Our Lady of Coromoto, patroness of Venezuela, and Our Lady of Cisne, patroness of Ecuador.

The Our Lady of Coromoto Mass is set for Sunday, September 15, at 4 p.m., to be celebrated by Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities of New York. Monsignor Sullivan will also deliver the homily.

The Our Lady of Cisne Mass is scheduled for Sunday, September 29, at 2 p.m. The celebrant and homilist for that Mass will be assigned in the coming days. The annual Masses are planned by the Office of Hispanic Ministry of the Archdiocese of New York and by their respective Marian committees.

Our Lady of Coromoto

The story of Mary under the Coromoto title comes from her apparition to Chief Coromoto of the Cospes tribe near Guanare, Venezuela, in 1651 and again the following year.

After the second apparition, a small painting of her was discovered, depicted with the Child Jesus on her lap. Venezuelans celebrate Our Lady of Coromoto each year on February 2, September 8, and September 11 (September 11 is the official feast day). In 1942, Our Lady of Coromoto was declared the patroness of Venezuela.

Our Lady of Cisne

Last year, the Our Lady of Cisne Mass was preceded by a street procession featuring a visiting figure of Our Lady of Cisne from Ecuador; the figure was also displayed during Mass. It was a street procession that occurred as planned despite rain.

The visiting figure was made of fiber and was a replica of the historic statue of Our Lady of Cisne of Ecuador, sculpted in 1594, and made of wood. August 15 is the feast day.