'Our Lady of Guadalupe'

'Our Lady of Guadalupe'

Patroness of the Americas.

Mesoamerica, the New World, 1521:
The capital city of the Aztec empire falls under the Spanish forces.
Less than 20 years later, 9 million of the inhabitants of the land, who professed for centuries a polytheistic and human sacrificing religion, are converted to Christianity.
What happened in those times that produced such an incredible and historically unprecedented conversion?

In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to a poor Indian at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City; she identified herself as the Mother of the true God, instructed him to have the bishop build a temple on the site and left an image of herself imprinted miraculously on his tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay (over more than) 469 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin.
It apparently even reflects in her eyes what was in front of her in 1531!
Her message of love and compassion, and her universal promise of help and protection to all mankind, as well as the story of the apparitions, are described in the "Nican Mopohua", a 16th century document written in the native Nahuatl language.
There is reason to believe that at Tepeyac Mary came in her glorified body, and her actual physical hands rearranged the roses in Juan Diego's tilma, which makes this apparition very special.
An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Her.
Yearly, an estimated 10 million visit her Basilica, making her Mexico City home the most popular Marian shrine in the world, and the most visited Catholic church in the world next to the Vatican.
Altogether 24 popes have officially honoured 'Our Lady of Guadalupe'.
His Holiness John Paul II visited her Sanctuary four times: on his first apostolic trip outside Rome as Pope in 1979, and again in 1990, 1999 and 2002.
The Feast of 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' is celebrated on December 12th.
In 1999, Pope John Paul II, in his homily from the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of 'Our Lady of Guadalupe', during his third visit to the sanctuary, declared the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent.
During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of not being born.


"Let not your heart be disturbed.
Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish.
Am I not here, who is your Mother?
Are you not under my protection?
Am I not your health?
Are you not happily within my fold?
What else do you wish?
Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."
(Words of Our Lady to Juan Diego)

Used with permission of www.sancta.org

During our sightseeing tour we went to see the Basilicas of 'Our Lady of Guadalupe', at Hidalgo, in the northern part of Mexico City.
Aaaawesome.
We returned next day for another day to thoroughly explore the Basilicas, there's an old one, that sinking and unsafe, (Although thousands do not seem to worry about it all that much) and a new, very modern one, and to participate in a couple of masses, that we walked in during the day.
There are masses going on somewhere in the complex all day along.
The Guadalupe Shrine (Please do not mistake this Original Shrine with the one of the same name and under construction at Le Crosse, Milwauke, U.S.A.) is considered by Mexican Catholics to be the holiest place in the western hemisphere.
In 1910 Pius X declared the Virgin of Guadalupe Patroness of Latin America.
In 1945 Pious XII stated that the Virgin of Guadalupe was the "Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas" and that she had been painted "by brushes that were not of this world".
In 1946 Pope Pius XII declared her to be the Patroness of the Americas.
'Our Lady of Guadalupe' is venerated to such extent that U.S. President John F. Kennedy and French President Charles de Gaulle, both took time out during their state visits to Mexico to worship at the Basilica.
Pope John Paul II made an unprecedented five pilgrimages to 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' Shrine.
Apart from the two main Basilicas there are many churches and chapels in the complex.
You really need most of a day to see everything around here.
Being a practising Catholics, we found the complex and the large number of people awe inspiring, very moving and an unforgivable experience.

You can click on these photos for an enlargement.

Our Lady of Guadalupe	Our Lady of Guadalupe	Our Lady of Guadalupe	Our Lady of Guadalupe
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Our Lady of Guadalupe	Our Lady of Guadalupe	Our Lady of Guadalupe	Our Lady of Guadalupe

Links to other interesting pages in my 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' series

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