About The Church of Our Lady of Candelaria or simply Church of Candelaria in Caracas, Venezuela:
The Church of Our Lady of Candelaria or simply Church of Candelaria was built in the 1700s by families who had emigrated from the Canary Islands to Venezuela. The veneration of the Virgin of Candelaria in Venezuela has its origins in Canarian immigration to the country, so in 1708 a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built here.
The church is also of particular importance, because it houses the tomb of Dr. José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan physician renowned for his scientific skill, deep Christian faith, and compassionate care for the poor and sick. He became widely venerated as a miracle worker and patron of the sick and health professionals.
José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros was the oldest of seven children. He was born on October 26, 1864 in Isnotú, Venezuela, into a devout Catholic family. From a young age, he showed great aptitude for science and medicine as well as a profound dedication to faith. The oldest of seven children, José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros was born on October 26, 1864, in Isnotú, a small village in the state of Trujillo in the Venezuelan Andes. His mother was a housekeeper; his father sold pharmaceuticals and livestock. When he was 13, he expressed his desire to go to law school, but his mother convinced him to study medicine. He therefore went to Caracas to study: first at a prestigious academy and then at the medical school of the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), where he was considered a brilliant student.
After graduating in 1888, Dr. Hernández received a grant from the Venezuelan government to pursue studies under prominent experts in Europe, where he delved into histology, bacteriology, and pathology. Returning to Venezuela in 1893, he founded chairs in those subjects at the UCV, while practicing at a teaching hospital. He was the author of numerous scientific and medical research works as well as some literary essays.
Besides his impressive academic and professional contributions, Dr. Hernández deepened his Catholic faith, becoming a Secular Franciscan at the Capuchin church in Caracas in 1899. He attempted to study for the priesthood after that two different times, but his delicate health forced him to withdraw from the seminary.
He studied medicine at the Central University of Venezuela, graduating as a doctor and beginning a career that combined scientific excellence with deep compassion for the sick, especially the poor who could not afford care.
Throughout his life, Hernández maintained a strict life of prayer and devotion. He often visited patients without charge, bringing both medical treatment and spiritual comfort. He promoted hygiene, nutrition, and preventive medicine at a time when such measures were not widespread, and he was widely respected for his integrity, humility, and ethical standards.
In addition to his medical work, he taught at the university and mentored young doctors, combining rigorous scientific instruction with moral guidance. He became a secular Franciscan and his personal holiness was evident in his ascetic practices, regular prayer, and frequent participation in the sacraments.
Dr. Hernández became especially well-known for his selfless labors on behalf of the sick during the great influenza epidemic of 1918, becoming known in Caracas as the “doctor of the poor,” often buying medicines for them out of his own pocket.
He met his death on June 29, 1919, accidentally struck by one of the few automobiles in Caracas at the time, when he was out obtaining drugs to treat an elderly poor woman. There was a tremendous outpouring at his death, and popular devotion to him in Venezuela has only increased over the years…….the faithful began venerating him as a healer and miracle worker, attributing countless physical and spiritual cures to his intercession. José Gregorio Hernández is remembered as a model of Christian charity, blending professional excellence with profound spiritual virtue. He remains a symbol of hope for the sick and a patron for health care workers, celebrated for his life of service, prayer, and humility. He received the title of venerable in 1986 from Pope John Paul II. Over decades, this popular devotion grew throughout Venezuela and beyond, culminating in the recognition of a miracle that led to his beatification and later Canonized by Pope Leo XIV on October 19, 2025.
There is a Shrine of the Child Jesus in Hernandez’s birthplace, Isnotú, Venezuela.
The feast day for Saint José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros is October 26. During the annual feast of the Virgin of Candelaria, the image of the Virgin is taken in procession by the parish with a mass presided over by local priests and, sometimes, by the cardinal and bishop of Caracas himself.
Traveling to The Church of Our Lady of Candelaria in Caracas, Venezuela:
The Church of Our Lady of Candelaria, or simply Church of Candelaria, is located in the historic center of the city of Caracas, specifically in the Plaza La Candelaria – Urdaneta, and limited to the south by the Paris Building.