Published on Friday, July 31, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rica is preparing to welcome an estimated 2 million pilgrims throughout August as the country celebrates Our Lady of the Angels ("Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles"), affectionately known as "La Negrita," the nation's patron saint.

The annual religious holiday to be observed on Sunday, Aug. 2, is one of Costa Rica's largest religious and cultural events, drawing worshippers from across the country and abroad.

According to the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica (CECOR), more than 2 million pilgrims, including Costa Ricans and international visitors, are expected to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago, commonly known as the "La Negrita" Church, throughout the month to pay their respects.

CECOR, the official governing body of the Catholic Church in Costa Rica, established by the country's bishops with Vatican approval, said the pilgrimage attracts thousands of foreign visitors each year.

Pilgrims travel from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia and other countries, contributing to the estimated 2 million visitors expected during August.

For many believers, the pilgrimage is a deeply spiritual experience. Hundreds of thousands complete the journey on foot in what is known as the "romería," or pilgrim's walk.

Depending on where they begin, the trip can cover several miles and, for some, take multiple days. The pilgrimage is widely viewed as an act of devotion, sacrifice and faith.

Historical records preserved at Costa Rica's National Library indicate that the pilgrimage tradition dates to about 1635, when the first Marian celebration honoring "La Negrita" was held.

According to tradition, the story began when Juana Pereira, a young girl from Cartago Province, discovered a small stone figurine resting on a large rock near a spring while collecting firewood. Believing it to be a doll, she took it home.

The following morning, Juana returned to the same spot and found what appeared to be the same figurine on the rock. She brought it home again, only to discover that the original had disappeared. The same unexplained event occurred a third time.

Alarmed by the mysterious events, Juana told her mother, who took her to the local priest, Father Alonso Sandoval. The priest placed the figurine in a secure box, but it disappeared overnight. At the same time, Juana once again found the figurine resting on the rock where she had first discovered it.

Believing the events to be miraculous, Father Sandoval and local residents placed the figurine inside the church's tabernacle, where the Eucharist is kept. Once again, however, the figure disappeared and reappeared at its original location.

Father Sandoval interpreted the repeated events as a divine message from the Virgin Mary and requested that a chapel be built on the site where the figurine had first been found.

The small black stone figure, depicting a woman with a round face, slanted eyes, a small nose and mouth while holding an infant in her left arm, became known as "La Negrita," or the Black Madonna. The infant, believed to represent Jesus, extends his right hand in a gesture of blessing.

The figure was named Our Lady of the Angels because it was discovered on Aug. 2, the feast day of Santa María de los Ángeles, patroness of the Franciscan Order.

On Sept. 24, 1824, Costa Rica's highest governing authority officially proclaimed Our Lady of the Angels as the country's patron saint.

In 1926, the sacred image was ceremonially crowned, and Pope Pius XI later bestowed upon her the title Queen of the Basilica of the Angels.

Today, "La Negrita" remains one of the most revered religious icons in Central America, attracting pilgrims from every province of Costa Rica as well as thousands of faithful from other countries each year.

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Have you ever visited the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, home of "La Negrita," in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com