We visited The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, a Byzantine style church which is the national religious shrine of Costa Rica in the city of Cartago. Every year thousands of devotees from across the country make a pilgrimage on foot to honor the Virgin Mary and to render homage for favors conceded. When we arrived in Costa Rica, our landlady and her family were preparing to make this pilgrimage on foot, which would take them about 5 days. The pilgrimage coincides with the feast day of the Virgin of the Angels held on August 2nd to commemorate the miraculous appearance (and subsequent reappearance) of a small carved image of the virgin mother to a young native girl in 1635. The church was erected on the actual site and the rock on which the statue appeared can be seen in a crypt from the left-hand side of the church's altar. The carved image, believed to be any image of the Virgin Mary, is inside a gold and glass box at the center of the altar, enshrined in gold.
Having visited the largest Basilica in the world (ironically in West Africa and larger than the Vatican) as well as many Cathedrals in Europe, Israel, and Brazil, this smaller version in Costa Rica does not pale in comparison. Known for its varieties of madera (wood), the architecture inside this Costa Rican church is amazing. Unfortunately my camera does not do it justice because of the dark wood and insufficient lighting. I am always amazed by the stained glass windows illustrating Biblical events, perhaps not always theologically correct, but beautiful none the less. Above are statues of St. Vincent de Paul caring for the children and one depicting Christ seated at God's right hand with four heads of the apostles who wrote the gospels below (for a closer look, double click on any photo).
Outside the church is a historical museum containing showcases filled with charms. People buy charms of body parts (legs, arms, hearts, etc.) in hopes of receiving healing from certain diseases or charms representing particular needs ($, love, etc.). I don't know if it is still a practice today to buy these and place them inside the many cases, but I noticed some were empty or only partially filled. In addition, there is a pipe coming out of the bottom of the church where water, believed to be empowered with the ability to heal, exits. People come daily to wash loved ones in the water or fill bottles to drink for those who cannot come. With a socialized medical system that has failed to take care of its citizens, perhaps this is the only affordable alternative.
