Our Lady of the Pillar- Saragossa, Spain (ca. 40 AD)

After the crucifixion , ressurection and ascension of Jesus, his Apostles began to spread the message he left throughout Israel and shortly thereafter, through the Roman empire. One of the Apostles, James (the Greater), reportedly travelled as far west as Spain mostly to the village of Saragossa . While James was there, he became disheartened because of the failure of his mission. The story tells At a time when James was deep in prayer the Holy Virgin appeared to him and offered him a small wooden statue of herself and a column of jasper wood and she asked him to build  a church to  honor her:

"This place is to be my house, and this image and column shall be the title and altar of the temple that you shall build."

The jasper column and the wooden statue is still there. It can be seen on special occassions in the church that houses it. James arranged to build a  chapel , This church is known as the first Church ever dedicated to the Virgin Mary. After his death (he was executed by the Romans), his body was returned to Spain to be burried. He is the first apostle to be martyred for his faith. The queen, had heared and seen some miracles which where performed by James and became a christian. James' body was buried in a local field.

Eight centuries later, a Cathedral in honor of St. James was build, after his gravesite was discovered. The man who found the grave was guided by a strange formation of stars. The site for the cathedral was called Compostella and it is a famous pilgrimage site nowadays.