Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe! You may be familiar with her image, but do you know the amazing story behind it?
The story begins on December 9, 1531, in what is now Mexico City. Juan Diego, an indigenous man who had converted to Christianity, was on his way to Mass at a Franciscan Mission when the Virgin Mary appeared before him dressed as an Aztec princess. Our Lady directed him to tell the bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumarraga, to build a chapel on Tepeyac Hill where she had appeared.
The bishop told Juan Diego to have Our Lady give him a sign. On December 12, when he opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, roses fell to the ground. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on the tilma and is still present today, nearly 500 years later.
Today, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, where the original tilma worn by Juan Diego is displayed and venerated. Saint John Paul II canonized Juan Diego and declared Our Lady of Guadalupe patroness of the Americas.