The first time I caught a glimpse of her was on a November afternoon in Bogota, while riding the bus one. I was utterly stunned and couldn’t believe my eyes. Determined to confirm what I saw; I made it a point to get a good look at that particular statue of our Lady in the front garden of a big house in the northern part of the city the following week. Fate, however, was not on my side, as I found myself standing and unable to get a closer look. Undeterred, the third week, I decided to interrupt my journey and got off the bus. And there she was—the unmistakably white statue of the Virgin of the Poor.
It took me a few more weeks to muster the courage and finally knock on the door. You see, we Missionaries of Charity Brothers share a special connection with Mary under this title. The year was 1999 and statues like this were exceptionally rare to come by. This particular representation of Mary is striking in simplicity—a young woman, slightly inclining forward, her hands folded in prayer, dressed in a long white gown with a blue sash and a transparent white veil. Her only one foot is visible, on top of which lay a single rose.
Br Carmel Duca MC
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