Another notable event in the devotion to the Divine Shepherdess is the cholera epidemic that hit Barquisimeto in 1855. At that time, the heroism of Father Macario Yépez stood out, who took the Virgin out in procession alongside an image of the Nazarene and at one point of prayer, historians sayoffered his life in exchange for ending the epidemic:
“Holy Virgin, Divine Shepherd, for the sake of Divine Justice, for the good and salvation of this people I offer you my life. My Mother, Divine Pastor, for the pains that your Divine Heart experienced, when you received your Most Holy Son in your arms on the descent from the Cross, I beg you, My Mother, to save this people, may I be the last victim of the “cholera!” Father Yépez pleaded.
Tradition says that the epidemic diminished after that day. The priest would die in 1856 of typhoid fever. From that year on, the tradition remained of carrying the image of the Virgin in a procession every year from the town of Santa Rosa to the city of Barquisimeto.