Idol Worship

the "Virgin of the swan" is everywhere around Loja. Just as the "Virgin of the Waters" was up in Baños. Posters and these goofy dolls are everywhere. In taxies some have rosaries. Most have little statues of this lady and the baby. It is not hard to see who they worship. :(

La Virgen del Cisne Throughout Ecuador, but especially in Loja province, you’ll see figurines, shrines, pendants and all manner of trinkets dedicated to the Virgen del Cisne (Virgin of the Swan). According to legend, the Virgin Mary protected a medieval knight who appeared before his lover in a boat shaped like a swan. The knight’s chivalric acts and the Virgin’s kindly auspices inspired Franciscan monks so much that they erected statues of the ‘Virgen del Cisne’ throughout Europe. The Franciscans later hauled one of these statues to Ecuador, where she has been credited with miracles aplenty, mostly involving sickness and storms. Cisne’ throughout Europe. The Franciscans later hauled one of these statues to Ecuador, where she has been credited with miracles aplenty, mostly involving sickness and storms. The Virgin you see today, installed by adoring campesinos (peasants) in 1594 in a little town also called El Cisne (70km west of Loja), wears gilded robes and a towering crown. This Virgin, the ‘original,’ lives in the town’s Santuario, a Gothic-style cathedral, most of the year. Virgens del Cisne in other parts of Ecuador wear vestments inspired by local indigenous costumes, or even the Ecuadorian flag (especially when the national soccer team is playing a big game). A huge festival is held in the Virgin’s honor in El Cisne on August 15, after which thousands of pilgrims from Ecuador and northern Peru carry the statue on their shoulders to Loja, with many of the pilgrims walking the entire way. The Virgin finally arrives in Loja on August 20, where she is ceremoniously installed in the cathedral. On November 1, the process is repeated in reverse, and the Virgin rests in El Cisne until the following August. There is another major (if smaller) festival in El Cisne on May 30. For most of the year, tours and buses make day trips to the village from Loja and Catamayo to see El Santuario and the statue. But on procession days, forget it! You walk like everybody else – the road is so full of pilgrims that vehicles can’t get through. In recent years, cyclists have taken to riding this gorgeous route through the mountains alongside the pilgrims. No matter how you go, this display of devotion always amazes.

Lonely Planet; Regis St Louis; Greg Benchwick; Michael Grosberg; Tom Masters (2012-08-01). Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Travel Guide) (Kindle Locations 6704-6705). Lonely Planet Publications. Kindle Edition.

We were invited to a youth symphony concert in the main Cathedral. This girl is wearing the traditional clothing of the indiginous mountain folks. I am sad this picture does not truly reflect the beauty of her clothing. The concert was fantastic! They did very well and the acoustics in the cathedral were very cool!

This is a picture of the front of the cathedral. The statue in the middle is about life sized so you can see how huge this really is! Guessing the one in the middle is Mary. Not sure who the two on the sides are. At the very top, and very small, is Jesus on the cross. Again, It is not hard to see who is truly worshiped.

This disturbing statue was toward the back of the church. It gave me the chills.

In front of the cathedral were about 8-10 of these little places selling stuff. Some rosaries, a sprinkling of Jesus, but mostly Mary and the Virgin of the swan. Also sprinkled accross the city are many booths celebrating the arrival of Pope Francisco. Buttons, pens, T-shirts etc. This guy is a rock star!!