A cloth painting of the Virgin Mary is the focus of a yearly celebration in the Dominican Republic. It was painted by a Spanish artist and brought to the island nation in the early 1500s. The portrait, crowned by a gold and silver tiara by Pope John Paul II in 1978, is located in a basilica in the city of Higuey, in the Altagracia province. Every year on January 21, thousands of pilgrims visit the Higuey cathedral to worship. The feast day is a national holiday; it is marked by all-night church services, singing, dancing, and festivals in many Dominican towns. Discussfrom Today's Holiday http://ift.tt/2j528ak
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