Sábana Grande, Puerto Rico

Sábana Grande is a mountain town of around 25,900 inhabitants (2000 census). It is located some twenty to thirty minutes southeast of Mayagüez on PR Road 2 , turning east on PR 102. Other neighboring communities include San Germán, Maricao and Lajas.

Sábana Grande is essentially an agricultural community. It is a large producer of eggplants (berenjenas) and plantains.

The town has also attracted many industrial concerns under the Puerto Rico manufacturing incentive programs.

Sábana Grande attracts many visitors to Capilla de la Virgen del Pozo. On April 23, 1953 the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared before three school children seven to nine years old. News of the apparition spread quickly, and thousands of people journeyed to the rural area where it happened, several minutes away from town heading north on PR Road 364. The Virgin appeared a total of 33 times during the next month. On May 25, 1953, date when the Virgin had announced its last apparitions, visitors numbered tens of thousands.

Throughout the apparition period, and from that date on, many, many miracles have been attributed to la Virgen del Pozo. A chapel was built on the site several years later. A small museum next to the chapel contains hundreds of items left behind as proof and tribute by people on whom miracles had been performed. Wheelchairs, crutches, items of clothing, written documents attesting to individual miracles, and many similar items can be found at the museum.

The chapel is visited by hundreds for Sunday masses. Every year, on the anniversary of the final apparition, thousands of people still travel to the site, including people from outside Puerto Rico. The patron saint for Sábana Grande is "San Isidro labrador", celebrated on May 15th.