Manuel Costa de los Ríos ("el negro Manuel")
Enslaved African layman, first custodian of the image of Our Lady of Luján
Who they were
Brought from Africa as a slave, he served for fifty-six years at Luján as the first custodian of the image of Our Lady of Luján, patroness of Argentina, and died there in 1686.
The miracles
No miracle has been approved. The cause is at its first stage.
Why that counted as sanctity
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints granted the nihil obstat in 2019 and the Archbishop of Mercedes-Luján was notified on 30 July 2019, making him a Servant of God; the diocesan phase has since closed and the acts were validated in Rome on 17 October 2025.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
- El esclavo custodio de la Virgen de Lujan, conocido como 'negro Manuel', ya es considerado Siervo de Dios - ACI Prensa
- Negro Manuel, custodio de la Virgen de Lujan, avanza en su causa de beatificacion en Roma - ACI Prensa
Checked against the sources listed on 24 September 2026. Corrections welcome.