The Devotion to Our Lady of La Leche
The devotion to Nuestra Señora de La Leche y Buen Parto—Our Lady of the Milk and Happy Delivery—has deep roots in the history of the Catholic Church in the Americas. Spanish settlers brought this devotion to St. Augustine in the early 17th century, establishing the first Marian shrine in what is now the United States on the grounds of Mission Nombre de Dios.
Inside a small chapel on the mission grounds, they enshrined a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus. This tender image of Mary as both nurturing and watchful mother has drawn the faithful for centuries to seek her intercession. The present ivy-covered chapel, completed in 1914, continues that legacy and welcomes pilgrims from around the world.
A Devotion That Touched Every Generation
The devotion to Our Lady of La Leche quickly spread among the native peoples of Florida, including the Timucua, Guale and Apalachee, who found in Mary’s maternal care a reflection of God’s closeness and love.
Through the centuries, countless pilgrims have prayed before Our Lady of La Leche for the blessing of marriage, the gift of children and the safe delivery of mothers in childbirth. Families struggling with infertility, couples awaiting the birth of a child and parents bringing their infants for blessing have long turned to Mary under this title.
The devotion also brings comfort to those who have experienced miscarriages, illness or loss, offering healing through the embrace of a mother who understands both joy and sorrow.
Why Families Come Today
The devotion to Our Lady of La Leche continues to speak powerfully to families. Expectant mothers entrust their pregnancies to Mary, asking her for strength, protection and safe delivery. Couples come seeking the gift of children, while parents bring their little ones to the shrine to pray for health and blessing. Families facing grief or loss find consolation in Mary’s maternal presence, knowing she, too, experienced both joy and pain.
Many pilgrims return in thanksgiving, lighting candles or leaving written petitions as they bring children once prayed for into Mary’s chapel as living signs of her intercession. Visitors often describe the shrine as a place of peace. Surrounded by history, they encounter the reality of the Incarnation—Jesus was truly born, fed and loved—and find comfort in knowing that God remains close to the daily joys and challenges of family life.
An Enduring Legacy
The significance of the devotion to Our Lady of La Leche has been recognized by the universal Church. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI approved the establishment of a local feast day in her honor to be celebrated annually on Oct. 11 in the Diocese of St. Augustine.
In 2019, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops elevated the site to the status of a national shrine, affirming its importance as a place of prayer and pilgrimage.
This devotion received special recognition on Oct. 10, 2021, when the canonical coronation of the image of Our Lady of La Leche—granted by Pope Benedict XVI—was joyfully celebrated under Pope Francis during a solemn Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.
To learn more about the Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of La Leche and view the livestream of the Mass click here.