Personal Note: Visiting The Heart and Soul of Mexico and Much of Latin America

A trip to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City

During my recent client trip to Mexico City, I took an afternoon to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. For anyone wishing to understand the single most important spiritual and moral core of Mexico, then you have to visit the Basicila. Indeed, you could easily say this extends to the rest of Latin America, as devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe is widespread throughout the hemisphere.

For those not familiar with the historical background, here is the short version: In 1531, a poor Chichimec peasant named Juan Diego was visited by the Virgin Mother at least four times and once by his uncle, Juan Bernardino. In the apparitions, the Virgin Mother asked that a church be built on the site where Juan Diego stood. Diego then went to the Archbishop of Mexico City to tell him what had happened - a story that was met with skepticism.

Mary appeared later in the day to Diego, asking him to continue insisting that a church be built. Again, Diego went to the Archbishop who this time asked Diego to ask the woman for miraculous proof. Later in the day, Diego again was visited by Mary, who consented to the Archbishop’s request.

But here is where things got particularly interesting: The next day, Diego’s uncle, Juan Bernardino, fell ill, and Diego had to tend to him. He missed his meeting with the Virgin Mother and felt ashamed of it, as he avoided the normal route where he would see her as he went to find a priest to hear his uncle’s confession and offer him Last Rights. But Mary intercepted him. He apologized and she gently chided him for not having recourse to her to help his uncle: “Am I not here, I who am your mother?” - this is an inscription today over the entrance to the Bascilica.

Mary assured him his uncle had now recovered and that Diego should go to the summit of Tepeyac Hill to gather flowers. It was December and normally the Hill was barren of flowers. But Diego obeyed, and he found Castilian roses - which are not native to Mexico - blooming on the Hill. The Virgin Mary then appeared again and arranged the roses in Diego’s cloak and told him to take them to the Archbishop. When Diego saw the Archbishop, he opened the cloak, the roses fell out, and the image we see today of Our Lady of Guadalupe was on the cloak.

Today, Juan Diego is known as Saint Juan Diego, beautified by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1990.

Yours’ truly taking a photo of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Scientific studies - and there have been numerous studies — cannot explain the image. A study in 1981 using infrared light could not find nay trace of sizing or skething underneath the paint. Scientists could not explain the original parts of the image or how it was so well preserved.

it is a beautiful and massive site alive with multiple groups and individuals visiting to pray to the Virgin Mother for her intercession. On a personal note, the sense of tranquility and peace in the midst of the great crowds is quite overwhelming. For anyone visiting Mexico City, I highly recommend a visit. You will hopefully, probably, leave feeling like I still do a week afterward: Happy, feeling blessed, and hopeful!