| Nuestra Señora de Belén (Our Lady of
Bethlehem) was the name bestowed in1740 to the land grant and
first settlement of Belén, New Mexico. The name is a reflection
of the intense devotion to the Mother of God that was felt by the
colonists.
Mariology, belief relating to the Virgin Mary, has evolved
over time, just as Catholicism has changed in practices and
beliefs. Several events are prominent in Mary's life. First,
Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem (Belén). The
Immaculate Conception of Mary refers to the belief that she was
free from original sin at the first instant of her own existence
in her mother's womb. The Annunciation is the announcement made
to her by the Angel Gabriel that she was to be the mother of
Jesus Christ. Assumption of Mary is the doctrine that her body
and soul were taken by angels to heaven to be with Christ.
The Virgin Mary has long been celebrated by artists and
musicians and her life is the subject of some of the greatest
masterpieces ever created. Apparitions of the Virgin such as the
Guadalupana appearing to the Indian boy, Juan Diego, in
Mexico City in 1531, to a peasant girl in Lourdes, France in 1858
and three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 have stirred
renewed devotion to Mary. |
