NASA’s 2020 Mars expedition landed the Perseverance Rover
on Mars on February 18, 2021, after a 7-month trip from earth. However, many do not know
that the Blessed
Mother also travelled to Mars under the title
of “Nuestra Señora de Flores” (Our Lady of Flowers), patron saint of Álora,
Spain. NASA selected inscriptions for
150,000 plates for the robot to carry to Mars. Air Force Sergeant Francisco
José Fernández included the Nuestra
Señora de Flores’ name, for whom he has great devotion. The
goal is that when the robot stops working for eternity, those names will be
inside if someone finds the machine or if humans end up settling on Mars. It
is exciting to know that in a few years, Mary’s name will be there, in space,
between the valleys and deserts of Mars. The
devotion to the Nuestra Señora de Flores originated in the 15th century in
Álora, Spain after the conquest of Granada. Queen Elizabeth I ordered the building of a chapel
in her honor. Today the chapel is a sanctuary. This statue of Our Lady was built
for the sanctuary in 1602.
Our Lady holds a sceptre in her right hand and the Child Jesus in her left. The
Church celebrates her feast on September 8, the same
date as the Nativity of Mary. Everyone is so proud of the fact that Our Lady of Flowers is
now also on the planet Mars.
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