Basilica in honor of La Virgen del Carmen in Maipu

Today we began our day with a visit to the Basilica of the Virgen del Carmen in Maipu, a historic neighborhood in Santiago. The Virgen del Carmen is the Patron Saint of Chile and we learned a little about her the other day when we visited the Cathedral in Santiago's main plaza. Today's visit was extra-special because we were joined by Sr. Angela, the principal of Colegio Santa Ursula and by one of the History teachers who gave us lots of excellent details about the Basilica.

Declared a National Monument, the church was built on the site of the Battle of Maipu, a battle for Independence against the Spanish. In gratitude for the victory, Chilean hero, Bernard O'Higgins promised to build a church in honor of La Virgen del Carmen. The original church was destroyed in an earthquake but the current building was constructed in 1944. The design is unique and represents the Madonna with her cloak, protecting and shielding her people. In 1987, this impressive building was declared a Basilica by Pope John Paul II.