Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe

Today is an extremely important day in Mexico and many other parts of the world, the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, or Our Lady of Guadalupe.

According to tradition, in 1531, a native peasant named Juan Diego was walking by a hill close to Mexico City when a young woman appeared to him, surrounded by light. She asked in his language, Nahuatl, that a church be built for her at that site, and he recognized her as the Virgin Mary. He went to the local bishop and related this request. The bishop didn't believe him and asked for a miraculous sign to prove his claim. Juan Diego returned, asked, and the Virgin Mary told him to go to the top of the hill and gather some flowers. Although it was December, he found roses in bloom, and took them in his cloak, his tilma, to the bishop. When he opened the tilma, the roses fell out and the image of the Virgin Mary was imprinted on the cloak.

The church was built, and is one of the most visited sites for Christians, with 18-20 million visitors yearly. The tilma still remains intact within it.

The Virgin of Guadalupe is a uniting force among Mexicans and others, and is in fact called the Patroness of the Americas. Many miracles have been attributed to her.

The feast day is December 12, and this morning many gathered before sunrise to sing the Mananitas (morning songs) and pray. There are numerous songs dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, along with an array of traditions, of which I'm still learning.

For more information, click here.