Since the dawn of Christian history, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been a source of comfort and protection for Christian communities who, in times of distress, have entrusted themselves to her protection. In the history of the independence of Peru, this devotion to the Virgin of Mercy has left a deep and moving mark.

Our homeland was no stranger to the manifestations of divine mercy in the midst of the struggle for independence. The pro-independence armies, anxious for freedom, had recourse to the intercession of Our Blessed Mother of Mercy. Historical records attest to the expressions of love and trust towards her in these crucial moments.

With the arrival of the long-awaited independence and the proclamation of the Republic of Peru, the Constituent Congress, in a plenary session on September 22, 1823, under the presidency of Tomás Forcada and the presentation of the proposal by the deputy Juan Esteban Henríquez de Saldaña, canon of the Cathedral of Lima and chaplain of the Monastery of the Conception, declared the Blessed Virgin of Mercy as Patroness of the Armed Forces. This declaration was based on the recognition of her inspiration in obtaining the freedom of our peoples.

Each of these events and recognitions to Our Blessed Mother of Mercy reflects the deep fervor that the Peruvian State and its Armed Forces feel for their Patroness and Grand Marshal, to whom they attribute a maternal intervention throughout the history of the country.

It is important to highlight that the devotion to the Virgin of Mercy, Patroness of the Peruvian Armed Forces, is solemnly manifested throughout the country during the festivity of its Patron Saint. Until the issuance of Supreme Decree N° 022 of December 11, 1964, which reduced the feast of Our Lady of Mercy to a working civic holiday, September 24 was considered a “religious holiday”. The solemn mass in Lima was officially attended by the President of the Republic, his ministerial cabinet and other authorities, while in the rest of the cities, the local authorities also participated in the celebration.

These facts demonstrate that the devotion to the Virgin of Mercy has endured throughout the national territory since the first moments of evangelization. Its roots in the heart of the Peruvian people and the Armed Forces are manifested in the names of institutions, parishes, churches, chapels and in various fraternities that honor Mary of Mercy.