Marge Fenelon: They call her La Negrita, or the Black Madonna, and she’s the Patron Saint of Costa Rica. In many ways, you might call her a “real doll.”
In 1635, a young Tico, or native, girl looking for firewood in the forest saw a peculiar black rock in the shape of a doll that was sitting on top of a large boulder. A mysterious image of a woman and child was engraved on it. The image appeared to be that of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus. Thinking that it was a wonderful toy, the girl took the rock home with her and placed it among her belongings. The next day, and she was gathering firewood, she discovered the “doll” sitting on the rock where she had originally found it. Story is here.
