In 1531, the Blessed Mother appeared four times to Juan Diego, a native peasant, on a hill outside present-day Mexico.
During her final visit on Dec. 12, 1531, Our Lady arranged roses in his tilma, which he then brought to his bishop as a sign to build a church in her honor. When he opened his tilma, it revealed the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.
This Marian apparition is one of the most popular in the Catholic Church, and the image itself can be seen even in secular spaces in North and South America. Millions of people visit her Basilica in Mexico yearly, making it the most visited Marian shrine in the world.
Here are five more things to know and share about Our Lady of Guadalupe and the miraculous image she gave Saint Juan Diego:
The Tilma is Not the Work of Human Hands.
The original image remains the same, while human replicas fade or deteriorate over time. The image contains additional details that set it apart, such as Our Lady's eyes reflecting what she saw in front of her in 1531. A microscopic examination also revealed that there were no brush strokes.
The Tilma Appears to be Indestructible.
Two different events threatened the image: an acid spill in 1784 and a bomb in 1921. The tilma remained unscathed!
The Stars on Our Lady of Guadalupe's Mantle
The stars on the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe coincide with the constellation in the sky on Dec. 12, 1531.
The Castilian Roses Juan Diego Found at the Apparition Site are Not Native to Mexico.
The Blessed Mother arranged these flowers in Saint Juan Diego’s tilma before he visited his bishop. When he opened his tilma, the roses fell to the ground revealing the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Changed the Course of History.
According to EWTN,
“Within seven years of this apparition, in which Our Lady manifested herself to the native peoples of Mexico as a sign of her maternal care, nine million accepted the Catholic faith. Remarkably, this amounts to an average of over 3000 people a day, every day for the next seven years.”
The Church in the United States would not be the same without the influence of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Here is a special prayer for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe:
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose,
make intercession for Holy Church,
protect the sovereign Pontiff,
help all those who invoke you in their necessities,
and since you are the ever-Virgin Mary
and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from your most holy Son
the grace of keeping our faith,
of sweet hope in the midst
of the bitterness of life of burning charity,
and the precious gift of final perseverance.
Amen.