Our Lady of Guadalupe

I was privileged to be part of a large tour group to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico several years ago. Mary under the title of "Our Lady of Guadalupe" is the Patroness of the Americas. Her apparition to Blessed Juan Diego in 1531 was situated in the center of the North and South American continents. Unlike other apparitions of Mary, she left her image on Juan Diego's "tilma" or cloak which is still on display in the Basilica.

Story of the Original Apparition

Blessed Juan Diego, who was canonized on July 31, 2002, was walking to Mass at the Church of Santiago-Tlaltelolco where both he and his wife had been baptized. It was the morning of December 9, 1531. As he passed the barren hill of Tepeyac he heard music. He stopped out of curiosity and then heard a sweet voice inviting him to the top of the hill, a distance of 220 stairs as counted by this writer. He saw a beautiful young woman who identified herself as the Virgin Mary. She asked Juan to visit the Bishop and request that a Chapel be built on the hill.

Bishop Zumárraga, the Ordinary of the Diocese, was, of course, quite skeptical of this strange request. Juan Diego was disappointed and returned to Tepeyac hill to tell the Virgin Mary who was waiting for him. She told him to return to the Bishop.

The Bishop was impressed with Juan's sincerity and resolve so he asked that Mary provide some sign or proof of the genuineness of her request. In Mary's third apparition, she asked Juan to return the next morning and a sign would be provided. However in the morning Juan's uncle. who lived with him, was very ill and Juan wanted to obtain a Priest for the Anointing of the Sick. Knowing that the Virgin waited for him on Tepeyac hill he went around the other side so as not to be delayed in obtaining the Priest. But Mary met him on his journey and reassured Juan that she would care for his uncle. At the same time Juan's uncle had a vision of Mary who cured him. Mary told Juan to go to the top of the hill and return with the flowers he would find there. Surprised to find flowers blooming in December he wrapped them in his mantle or tilma and returned to Mary who arranged them and wrapped them in the tilma. She told him to open the tilma only in the presence of the Bishop.

When Juan entered the Bishop's office he opened his tilma and out-of-season roses fell to the floor, and more surprisingly, Mary's image was printed on the tilma, the same image on display in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was December 12th, the date on which we celebrate the feast today. Juan's uncle also went to the Bishop and said that Mary had wanted to be called the "Sainted Virgin Mary of Coatlaxopeuh." He spoke in the native language not understood by the Bishop who thought he said, "Sainted Virgin of Guadalupe," a name that stuck.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The tilma is made of cactus fibers which normally decay in 30-40 years but have lasted 470 years which seems to be a miracle in itself. The image of Mary, which may be called an apparition in itself, rests on the surface of the tilma but does not permeate the fibers. Experts have examined the picture and cannot determine how it was made but they have ruled out known methods of painting such as oil, water color, tempera and pastel. The tilma is protected behind glass in the front and a bank-type safe protecting access from the rear. It can be viewed from anywhere in the Basilica and visitors may take moving walkways immediately under the image for a close-up view. Photographs are permitted.

It was wonderful to be part of the thousands of pilgrims participating in Holy Mass on the Dec. 12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Many thousands more filled the plaza outside the Basilica. A hundred or more Priests and Bishops including the two Bishops on our tour concelebrated the Mass. Native dancers were part of the Offertory procession and presented gifts at the altar. An interesting feature of the Mass was the appearance of "Juan Diego" in native costume. He approached the Celebrant of the Mass and opened his tilma to have roses spill out on the floor. His tilma was imprinted with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Christ the King Monument