His Holiness Pope John Paul II officially approved the title "Our Lady of Europe" and authorised the transfer of the annual feast of Our Lady to Europe Day, May 9.
The statue of Our Lady of Europe and Patroness of Gibraltar is a carved wood statue about two feet high, polychrome painted. It dates back to the end of the XVth or the beginning of the XVIth century.
In 1462 the Spanish invaded Gibraltar and captured it from the Muslims whose last stronghold it was. The battle of Gibraltar was won by the Duke of Medina Sidonia. In thanksgiving the people of Gibraltar changed the mosque of Europa Point into a Catholic church and enshrined in it the statue of Our Lady, venerating her as "Our Lady of Europe", entrusting the whole of Europe under her protection. A wooden statue of Our Lady sitting on a chair holding her son, Baby Jesus, was carved and placed in the shrine. Christians have chosen the place where Our Lady was venerated as "Europa Point", because it is the southernmost point of Europe's continent. The Rock of Gibraltar, as commonly known, became the key to the kingdoms of East and West. It is interesting to note that the seal of the City has the words "Gibraltar Key of Spain".
The devotion to Our Lady of Europe was widespread. Copies of the original statues were carved and the Spanish bishops granted indulgences to those who invoked the Mother of Christ as Our Lady of Europe. Many special graces were granted through Our Lady of Europe. The shrine became a sanctuary of pilgrimages. Ships passing through the Strait paid homage to Our Lady by the firing of salvoes. Often sea captains and generals stopped and prayed at the shrine on their way to battle.
The well-known General John Andrea Doria donated big oil silver lamps with provisions to ensure permanent lighting. These lamps served as warning to ships passing by.
On September 20, 1540 the shrine was ransacked and converted into a mosque by Barbarossa and Turkish pirates. The shrine as well as the statue were robbed of all their treasures. A hermit who lived there asked Charles V to make the shrine safer and build a lighthouse to help the seafarers. The suggestion was fulfilled by Philip II. The Gibraltarians always turned to Our Lady their Patroness in times of crisis.
On August 6, 1704 the British captured Gibraltar during the Wars of Succession. At that time the shrine was sacked and partially destroyed. The statue of Our Lady was badly damaged and thrown over a cliff into the sea. It was lost and eventually found. The image of the baby Jesus of the statue was destroyed. The priest in charge, Fr Juan Romerode Figueroa, who found the statue, took it to Algeciras for safety. It remained there for 160 years. The shrine was turned to a guard-room, afterwards a store.
In May 1864, the Bishop of Antinoe and Vicar Apostolic of Gibraltar, Mgr John Baptist Scandello, a Gibraltarian, brought the statue of Our Lady back to Gibraltar. Since there was not a shrine at Europa Point, the statue was kept in the Loreto nuns' chapel in town. Meanwhile a statue of Baby Jesus was carved at Seville. A procession was held. The army lined the route from the port to the temporary shrine in Main Street.
On May 30, 1866, the Statue of Our Lady was carried in procession and was enthroned in a bigger chapel of the Little Sisters of the Poor at Mount Avernia. It was placed on a marble altar donated by Blessed Pope Pius IX. On that occasion the Gibraltarians went to venerate the statue of Our Lady. The soldiers lined the street from where the procession passed, led by the military band of the 86th Regiment.
During World War II, in September 1939, the statue of Our Lady was taken to St Mary's Cathedral for safety.
On Assumption Day in 1954, a procession aux flambeaux with the statue of Our Lady of Europe was led by the Bishop Fitzgerald from St Mary's Cathedral to St Joseph Parish church.
On October 17, 1961 a piece of the original mosque was given to Bishop Healy. A year later on September 28, 1962, during the fifth centenary year of the establishment of Chistianity in Gibraltar, Bishop Healy blessed the present chapel and celebrated the first Mass there since 1704.
In 1966 the Gibraltar Post Office issued a commemorative postage stamp to celebrate the centenary of the re-enthronement of Our Lady of Europe.
On October 7, 1967 the statue of Our Lady of Europe was finally transferred to its original location.
On October 5, 1980 the shrine of Our Lady was consecrated by the Bishop of Gibraltar, Mgr. Edward Rapallo, and to mark the occasion a special Commemorative Cover was issued.