18th century Virgin Mary painting found intact among rubble after San Gabriel Mission fire

Friday, October 16, 2020
SAN GABRIEL, Calif. (KABC) -- An amazing discovery was made among the rubble of the San Gabriel Mission, which was destroyed in a fire in July.

Cleanup crews found an ash-covered but undamaged painting, titled "La Dolorosa," of the Virgin Mary from the 18th century buried under a scorched crossbeam.
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Fire destroys much of 249-year-old San Gabriel Mission


Most of the valuable artwork inside the mission had been removed months before the fire in preparation of the mission's 250th anniversary. The recently-discovered painting was the only one that survived the flames, officials say.
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The Archdiocese of Los Angeles says the painting was discovered on Sept. 15, the feast day of Our Lady of the Sorrows, a holy day that is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
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