Ave Maria!
A bit of fascinating Marian history on the feast of Our Lady of Gudalupe.
Over many centuries, from Spain to Lepanto, Christian armies have prevailed under the banner of Our Lady.
Carrie Gress
Recently, much attention has been given to the 1571 Battle of Lepanto, where the outnumbered Christian alliance defeated the Muslim Turks, protecting Europe from the further spread of Islam. As I’ve discovered while researching a new book, this battle was certainly miraculous and should be a great sign of hope for us living in these uncertain times, but it is part of a much larger (and lesser-known) story that has a fascinating connection to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The story starts in AD 711. Islamic forces made their way into Spain from Africa, conquering much of the Iberian Peninsula up into France. The Muslims, known generally as Moors or Saracens, reigned over most of Spain for over five centuries while Christian crusaders had little to no traction in reclaiming their once Catholic land.
All that changed around the year 1212. It was then that Christian armies began to invoke Mary’s name and image on the battlefield. Many miraculous successes lead King Alfonso VIII to take Mary as his patroness, fighting under a standard bearing Mary’s image. After centuries of very little to show for their efforts, a Spanish army was finally victorious in taking back terrain. The Reconquista had begun!
More from the Source: The Fascinating Link Between Lepanto and Our Lady of Guadalupe | ncregister.com