Did the Virgin Mary bilocate to Spain while she was still alive on Earth?

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Catholic tradition holds that in AD 40, the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared to the Apostle James the Greater on the banks of the Ebro River in Zaragoza. This event, known as Our Lady of the Pillar, is considered the first Marian apparition and a unique instance of mystical bilocation.

The legend of Our Lady of the Pillar describes Mary appearing to a discouraged James the Greater to offer comfort during his missionary work in Roman Hispania. While Mary was still living in Jerusalem, she reportedly traveled to Caesaraugusta—modern-day Zaragoza—to instruct James to build an oratory. This account, which features Mary accompanied by thousands of angels, remains a cornerstone of Spanish religious identity and is recognized as the earliest Marian apparition in Catholic history.

The physical focal point of this devotion is a small, 36.5-centimeter Late Gothic wooden statue of the Virgin and Child, which stands atop a 1.8-meter jasper pillar. While some folk traditions, popularized by the 17th-century writer María de Ágreda, suggest the image itself was crafted by angels, the Holy See does not recognize this as canonical. Historical evidence points to the current statue being created in the 15th century, likely by the school of sculptor Juan de la Huerta, following a fire that destroyed an earlier altarpiece in 1434.

The veneration of Our Lady of the Pillar evolved significantly over centuries. Although pilgrims visited the site as early as the 13th century, official papal recognition and the standardization of the feast day on 12 October—which now coincides with Spain's National Day—took much longer. By the 18th century, the apparition was formally accepted as canonical by Pope Innocent XIII. Today, the figure serves as the Patroness of the Hispanic world, symbolizing a deep cultural and spiritual connection between Spain and the Americas, a link reinforced by the shared date of Columbus's arrival in the New World.

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