Our Lady of Valvenere

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

September 23: Our Lady of Valvenere, Spain
 
This image is a replica of original which appears to have dated from 10th century & is preserved in Royal Abbey shrine of Our Lady of Valvanera, or Valvanere, in Rioja, jealously guarded by Benedictine monks.

The oldest documents preserved date from 13th century, & tell how, according to tradition, original image was found by a thief who later converted & became a hermit.
There was a thief named Nuno Onez, who was a hardened criminal & a “man of licentious life & dedicated to looting.”

One day, however, upon hearing prayer of a man who was to be his next victim, he was touched by Divine grace & repented of his many crimes, turning to Blessed Virgin Mary to help him change his life.

One day while he was praying an angel appeared to him to tell him to go to Valvanera & search for an oak that stood out from rest, with a fountain that gushed at its feet & surrounded by swarms of bees.

There, in branches of a strong & noble oak, in presence of a fountain of pure & clear water, trunk of which was overflowing with sweetness of honey, he'd find an image of Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Nuno went to place with a priest on following Sunday, & found image, just as angel had said.
The statue had probably been hidden there when Moslems invaded Iberian Peninsula in 8th century.
In that place, in last third of 9th century, he began to build a place of worship that became known as chapel of Santo Cristo.

Soon there was a small group of hermits who met to pray about this image, men who eventually adopted a regular life inspired by rule of Saint Benedict.
Thus, this small shrine is believed to have given rise to Monastery of Valvanera, where Virgin is currently venerated.

Valvanera Monastery is surrounded by a forest near town of Anguiano in valley of Sierra Demand La Rioja.
Its name derives from Latin “Vallis Venaria,” which literally means: “Valley water veins.”
The first Abbot was a man named Don Sancho in the year 990.

Our Lady apparently has a preference for oak trees, since this is one of several statues found in or on an oak tree.
On that very spot today is seen magnificent church which Alphonsus IV, King of Castile, built in honor of Mother of God in 1073, & which houses image.

She, the valiant woman of Scripture, desired her children, her clients & her devotees to share in a spiritual manner, in strength & power of this mighty tree, which is certainly a symbol of her.