Spain and Argentina meet in the FIFA World Cup final today. While the two nations will be rivals on the football pitch, they share rich Catholic traditions and a host of saints whose lives are closely associated with their countries.
Here are some saints whose intercession you might ask for while watching the final. May the best team win!
Our Lady of Luján
The patroness of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, Our Lady of Luján's history dates back to 1630. That year, Antonio Farías de Sá, a Portuguese settler living in Córdoba, asked a friend in Brazil to send him a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary for a shrine he wished to build. His friend sent two statues: one of the Immaculate Conception and another of the Virgin and Child.
