Our Lady of Highest Grace

https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-highest-grace.html 

April 2: Our Lady of Highest Grace

Before Spaniards began their conquest of America, pilgrimages were already being made to shrine of Our Lady of the Highest Grace in town of Higuey in Dominican Republic.

Ponce de Leon relates that he and his crew were saved from shipwreck through their prayers to this Virgin.
Mary’s miracles have continued down to present; a multimillion dollar ultra-modern Basilica erected at Higuey in Mary’s honor, where image is still displayed, gives testimony of this.

Ponce de Leon’s daughter, La Nina, also had a great devotion to Mother of God.
Our Lady appeared to Nina while she prayed before statue in their home chapel, & told her to request from her father a gift, a painting of Our Lady of Highest Grace.

Ponce de Leon was struck with amazement at request, for he'd never heard of Our Lady under that title.

He asked Nina, “How could I identify this image?”

“By the white scapular over her robe,” Nina replied.

Ponce de Leon searched & inquired everywhere in order to fulfill his daughter’s request.
One day while returning from a 3-day trip, he asked for lodging at a small hut; his host granted this at same time to an old man with a long white beard; the latter crouched against walls, carefully guarding an apparent treasure in his saddle-bags.

Ponce de Leon, forgetting old man, told his host of his daughter’s wish, & added that Bishop of Domingo had told him no such painting existed.
The old man hearing this, exclaimed, “The Virgin of Highest Grace does not exist?
I have brought painting with me.”

He then took from his saddle-bags a parchment, unrolled it & displayed a beautiful painting of Our Lady in simple tones of blue, white & red.
Mary was depicted adoring Christ child, while Saint Joseph holding a lighted taper hovered in distance. Over Virgin’s starred blue robe hung a white scapular.
Ponce de Leon offered all he possessed in exchange for painting, but stranger waved aside offer, saying, “Take it to La Nina.”

The two men fell on their knees to give homage to holy image.
When they again looked up, old bearded stranger had vanished.
When Ponce de Leon arrived home, his daughter awaited him under an orange tree in plaza, stretching out her hands she begged:

“The painting, Papacito! Please, let me see it!”
When it had been unwrapped, La Nina fell on her knees, covering Our Lady’s face with kisses.
Then she cried:

“This is exactly how our Mother of Highest Graces appeared to me!”
The painting of Our Lady of Highest Grace was placed in chapel where townspeople came to venerate it. Not long afterward La Nina died & was buried beneath orange tree, which she loved, for it was there she'd received image.

Later painting of Our Lady of Highest Grace disappeared from chapel & was found in branches of  orange tree.
After this had happened 3 times, people were convinced that Our Lady wished a shrine erected on spot. Countless miracles began to occur there.