| Our Lady of Regla | |
| Feast Day: | September 8 |
| Patronage: | Chipiona, Spain Regla (Havana), Cuba |
| Type: | Marian apparition |
| Location: | Andalusia, Spain |
| Date: | 13th-century |
| Attributes: | Patron of sailors |
| Full Name: | Nuestra Señora de Regla |
Our Lady of Regla or The Virgin of Regla is a Marian apparition of the Catholic Church venerated in various Hispanic countries such as: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Spain. In contrast to other Marian apparitions, she is typically depicted with dark skin.
According to Catholic legend, St. Augustine of Hippo, who lived in North Africa, had a revelation from an angel, who ordered him to carve an image of the Virgin Mary. The image was taken to Spain by his disciple Saint Cyprian, who ended up in Chipiona, where the Virgin of Regla is venerated. The image was hidden underground next to a fig tree following an invasion of Andalusia by the Saracens, and 5 centuries later, in the 13th century, an apparition pointed in the direction of where the image was hidden.[1] Her feast day, September 8, coincides with the Nativity of Mary, and after events of weathering and a fierce storm on the bordering Strait of Gibraltar, she became a patroness of seamen.[2]
In Spain, an image of the Virgin of Regla is located in the town of Chipiona, Andalusia. It is a wooden sculpture about 0.62 meters high in the Romanesque style, a typical trait of the Black Madonna.
In other parts of Andalusia, the devotion to Our Lady of Regla is present, such as a church dedicated to her in the city of Huécija[3] and in a brotherhood in the city of Seville as a patron of bakers.[4] In the Canary Islands, there are various hermitages dedicated to her.
In Cuba, in the Regla municipality of Havana, a hermitage was built in 1687 by a pilgrim named Manuel Antonio dedicated to the Virgin, although it was later destroyed by a 1692 hurricane.[5] In 1694, the location was rebuilt upon, where an image of the Virgin of Regla was enthroned and donated by Pedro de Aranda.[6] Since its donation, Our Lady of Regla has become a much-devoted object, and was declared patron saint of Regla on December 23, 1714.[7]
In the syncretic Afro-Cuban religion of Yorùbá (originally known as Santería,) the Virgin is associated with Yemayá, the Yoruba orisha of the sea.[8]
Since 1735, the Catholic population of Lapu-Lapu City has had significant devotion to Our Lady of Regla.[9] The image was initially taken to the city by Augustinian missionary Francisco Aballe (1694–1759).[10] After WWII, a new church was built under the patronage of Our Lady of Regla, with a new image build from polychrome hardwood.[11]
There are various churches and hermitages dedicated to her, such as: