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The little statue on the altar is known as Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto. It is a wood carving and a replica of the statue from which this chapel derives its name. It was made in 1938 from the original statue which is still preserved in the Church of San Luis in Madrid, Spain. The devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title originated in Spain in the year 1602. It spread quickly throughout that country and to the new world. Some few years after that date a statue similar to this one was brought to St. Augustine and placed in the chapel of Nombre de Dios mission which then stood on these grounds. It remained enshrined here for about one hundred and fifty years and became the center of a great devotion on the part of the Spanish & Indian women who lived in this vicinity. In 1763, when Florida passed from the rule of Spain to that of England, the statue, was taken to Havana. Cuba. In recent years repeated efforts have been made to locate the old statue, but no trace of it has been found. |
