In the city of San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico, you'll find a monument to an event that exemplifies the intertwining of Puerto Rico's history and its Christian faith. Puerto Rico's history is rich with religious references. This monument is called "La Rogativa" or "The Procession." It is found in a plaza in the port side of San Juan.
In 1797, when Puerto Rico was under the rule of Spain, the city of San Juan was under siege by the British army. The Spanish army was stationed along the beach, valiantly defending the shores of San Juan. The skirmish went on for weeks. Both sides were weakening and suffering from the fatigue of the battle.
On the night of April 30, 1797, according to a very popular Puerto Rican legend, the people of San Juan, fearing that the defenders of the island would lose and the British army might take over the town, formed a religious procession or a rogativa. They brought with them their religious items, and they went out and prayed. During the procession, they also brought with them torches to light their way.
The British leader saw the procession from afar. As it was dark, he only saw the light of the torches. Upon seeing the marching torches, he thought that they were actually Spanish soldiers that arrived to reinforce the Spanish army defending the beach. Because of this, the British leader, General Abercromby, decided to retreat, believing that taking the beach would be next to impossible seeing that Spanish reinforcements have arrived.
And that's proof that throughout Puerto Rico's history, the defense of the Puerto Rican flag has always been enriched by the people's faith.
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