In a location named Aïdour, the Santa Cruz Sanctuary stands as a place of worship and a Catholic chapel. Built on the Aïdour mountain below the Fort of Santa Cruz, it was originally named in honor of Our Lady of Salvation before being renamed Our Lady of Santa Cruz. Since 1950, the sanctuary has been gradually expanded to include a basilica, a cloister, and a belvedere overlooking the city and the Mediterranean Sea.
In 1849, a cholera epidemic broke out and struck the entire city of Oran, claiming 1,172 victims. During this time, General Pelissier, the commander of the French forces, suggested to the Vicar General of Algiers, Father Suchet, that a statue of the Virgin Mary be placed atop the mountain where the Santa Cruz fort was located. On November 4th, during a procession, thousands of faithful implored the Virgin to save them from the plague. After a few days, the rain began to fall in abundance, and the epidemic eventually ceased.
The sanctuary remains a significant site for the diocese of Oran. On December 8, 2018, it hosted the beatification ceremony for nineteen religious figures who were assassinated between 1994 and 1996 during the Algerian Civil War.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Mutabor
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