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Our Lady of Guadalupe

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Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 9th-12th

Our Lady of Guadalupe, who blessed Mexico and all the Americas by your appearance to Juan Diego, intercede for the holy Church, protect the pope, and help everyone who invokes you in their necessities.

O mystical rose, hear our prayers and our petitions, especially for the particular one we are praying for at this moment (mention your request).

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, sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, burning charity, and the precious gift of final perseverance.

Brief Synopsis

A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady.

He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.

Eventually the bishop told Juan Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Diego to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Diego, nevertheless, assured him that his uncle would recover and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma.

When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531.

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Catholic News Agency

Book

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love

Our Lady of Guadalupe – Patroness of the Americas

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS RELATED TO THE MIRACLE
Year Event
1474 An Indian named Cuauhtlatoatzin was born in Cuautitlán.
1476 Juan de Zumárraga was born in Spain.
1492 Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas, when he makes landfall on an island he calls San Salvador.
1517 Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation. Francisco Hernández de Córdoba discovers México.
1518 Juan de Grijalva oversaw the second expedition to Mexico.
1519 1521 Hernán Cortes landed in Mexico and conquers the capital city of the Aztecs.
1524 The first twelve missionaries (Franciscans) arrived in Mexico City.
1525 The Indian Cuauhtlatoatzin is baptized by a Franciscan priest. He receives the Christian name of Juan Diego.
1526 Dominican missionaries arrived.
1528 Friar Juan de Zumarraga arrived in the New World.
The terrible period of the Primera Audiencia (First Audience) headed by President Nuño de Guzmán begins.
1529 Juan Diego’s wife, Maria, died.
August 27 – Problems arose between the Spanish who established the government of the Primera Audiencia and the evangelizing missionaries. There was a plot to assassinate the bishop Juan de Zumárraga, but he escaped harm.
1531 A series of natural events such as earthquakes, a comet and a solar eclipse led the Indians to believe the world is about to end.
From the 9th to the 12th of December. During the winter solstice the Indians celebrated the most important feast of their calendar. During this pagan feast Our Lady of Guadalupe chose a humble Indian messenger, Juan Diego to bring her Son to the New World. The tilma was presented to Bishop Juan de Zumárraga.
The first chapel was erected to Holy Mary of Guadalupe of the Tepeyac, Mexico, and on December 26th, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was carried in procession to this first chapel.
A composition called the Pregón del Atabal was written to celebrate the procession of the tilma from the Primary Church of the city of Mexico to the chapel on Tepeyac where the image was placed.
1537 Pope Paul III issued the bull “Sublimis Deus,” on June 9th, 1537 which declared the Indians were able to receive the sacraments, as were all human beings, and encouraged their catechesis.
1541 Franciscan priest fray Toribio de Benavente, an early historian of New Spain, wrote that some nine million Aztecs had become Christians.
1544 May 15th – The uncle of Juan Diego, Juan Bernardino, died. 1545 –– A document was written by an Indian named Antonio Valeriano, this became known as the Nican Mopohua.
1548 Both Juan Diego and Bishop Juan de Zumárraga died in the
same year.
In the Codex of 1548 the death of Juan Diego was commemorated through pictures. This document was a
synthesis of all the events related to the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
1554 Francisco Cervantes verified the existence of the chapel at Tepeyac.
1555 The Chapel of the Tepeyac was put on the map “Uppsala”, named after the city in Sweden where it is located.
1556 The Document Reporte de 1556 affirmed that Montúfar defended the Guadalupe Devotion.
Archbishop Montúfar began the construction of the second church.
A Chapel was built next to Juan Diego’s house in Cuautitlán and another in Tulpetlac.
1559 The daughter of Juan Martin Garcia gave a detailed testimony about Juan Diego, his wife Maria Lucia, where they were married and where they lived.
1562 Census of Martin de Aranguren, spoke of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This document is located in the museum of theBasilica.
1563 Francisco Verdugo Quetzalmamaliztlin from the town of San Juan Teotihuacan, spoke in his will of the existence of the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Tepeyac.
1564 An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was carried on the first formal expedition to the Philippine Islands.
1567 The new church started by Archbishop Montúfar is completed.
1568 Bernal Díaz del Castillo, in his work “Verdadera Historia del Conquista de la Nueva España” (True History of the Conquest of New Spain), mentioned on two occasions the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe and noted that manymiracles took place there.
The pirate Miles Philips described the great devotion of the Spaniards and Indians to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Fray Bernardino of Sahagún incredulously spoke of the chapel of Our Lady Guadalupe on Tepeyac.
1570 Archbishop Montúfar sent to King Philip II of Spain an oil painted copy of the image of Guadalupe. Account of Father Antonio Freyre in which he spoke of the existence of the Guadalupe Shrine which belonged to the
Archdiocese of Mexico. This document is located in the Archivo General de Indias, Seville, Spain.
1571 Admiral Doria carried a copy of the image aboard ship during the battle of Lepanto and credited the Virgin of Guadalupe with the victory over the Ottoman Empire forces.
1573 The historian Juan de Tovar, who transcribed the story from a still earlier source, probably Juan Gonzalez, Bishop’s Zumarraga’s translator, wrote the “Primitive Relation”. (Discovered in the Mexican national Library Archives)
1574 The annals of Juan Bautista spoke of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A letter from the religious Jerónimo fray Diego de Santa María spoke of the sanctuary of Guadalupe on Tepeyac.
1575 The letter from Virrey Martín Enríquez also spoke of the sanctuary on Tepeyac.
The will of Mrs. Ana María spoke of the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Tepeyac.
1576 The pious work of Cofradía spoke of how the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe was in favor of helping orphans.
Pope Gregory XIII extended indulgences and blessings to the chapel at Tepeyac. The letter from the archbishop of Mexico Pedro Moya de Contreras thanked the pope for the blessings and indulgences given to the chapel.
1577 Testimony of Elvira Ramírez who made donations to Our Lady of Guadalupe on Tepeyac.
1578 October 30th – Testimony of Alonso Monte Vamonde who donated to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Tepeyac.
1582 Two important documents in the Archive of Chimalhuacán Chalco, an “Exvoto” (a sign of gratitude for a favor) and a sonnet which described the apparitions of Guadalupe.
1587 The will of Ana Luján spoke of the existence of the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
1589 Suárez de Peralta spoke of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
1590 The Nican Motecpana is written. It is a historical document which retold the story of the apparitions and the virtuous life of Juan Diego.
A 16th century drawing which captured the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego.
1606 First copy of the tilma dated and signed by Baltazar de Echave.
1615 The artist Stradanus created a bronze plaque which highlights different moments of the story of the apparitions.
1622 A publication from Publicación de Diego Garrido which captured the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
1647 The image was covered with glass for the first time.
1648 The priest Miguel Sánchez published in Mexico City, in Spanish, a work entitled “Image of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, Mother of God”.
1649 Luis Lasso de la Vega published the “Huey - Tlanahuicoltica”, telling the story in Nahuatl. It referred to earlier Nahuatl sources.
1650 The construction of the Indians’ parish was complete and the chapel is now used as a sacristy.
1666 A formal inquiry and investigation was conducted by the Church from February 18th to March 22nd in order to give authority to the tradition.
The chapel of the “Cerrito” (Hill) was built at the highest point on Tepeyac.
1667 Pope Clement IX instituted the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.
1689 Carlos de Siguenza y Góngora wrote “The Heroic Piety of Fernando Cortes” in which he spoke of the apparitions of Guadalupe.
1695 The first stone of the new sanctuary was laid. The sanctuary
was solemnly dedicated in 1709.
1723 Another formal investigation ordered by Archbishop Lanziego y Eguilaz.
1737 The Most Holy Mary of Guadalupe was chosen as the patroness of the city of Mexico.
1746 The patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe was accepted for all of New Spain, which then embraced the regions from northern California to El Salvador.
Pope Benedict XIV ratified the building of the Collegiate of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The knight Boturini Benaducci promoted the solemn and official coronation of the image.
1754 Benedict XIV approved the patronage of New Spain and granted a Mass and Office proper to the celebration of the feast on December 12th.
1756 Painter Miguel Cabrera published his study of the tilma and image in the book “Maravilla Americana.”
1757 The Virgin of Guadalupe was named patroness of Ciudad Ponce in Puerto Rico.
Benedict XV allowed King Ferdinand VII to use the offices and Masses of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Spanish territories.
1767 When the Society of Jesus was expelled from the Spanish territory, the Jesuits carry the image with them around the world.
1795 Acid was accidentally poured on the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
1810 Fr. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla took the image of Guadalupe as his flag and initiates the independence of Mexico.
1821 Agustín de Iturbide put the Mexican nation in the hands of Our Lady of Guadalupe and proclaimed her Patron and Empress of Mexico.
1895 Many of the bishops from throughout the Americas attended the pontifically authorized coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
1899 The first Plenary Council of Latin America, meeting of the Latin American bishops with the Pope, took place in Rome and recognized the special protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
1900 Pope Leo XII proclaimed the offices and Masses of Our Lady of Guadalupe should be celebrated in perpetuity.
1904 Pius X elevated the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe to a Minor Basilica.
1910 Pius X declared Our Lady of Guadalupe Patroness of Latin America.
1911 A church was built on the site of Juan 1911 –– Bernardino’s home.
1921 November 14th – A bomb placed beneath the image exploded, causing a great deal of damage within the basilica, but the tilma was unharmed.
1924 A very important 16th century source documenting the miracle was found in Peru by anthropologist M. Saville. It was a pictorial calendar known as the Codex Saville and shows the image of our Lady located in the position representing the year 1531.
1926 The Cristero War adopted the battle cry: “Viva Cristo Rey, Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!” (“Long live Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe!”) The North American episcopate and the Knights of Columbus supported the persecuted Catholic Church in Mexico.
1928 A copy of the image was crowned in Santa Fe, Argentina.
1929 Photographer Alfonso Marcue made the first documented discovery of an apparent reflection of a man’s head in the right eye of the Virgin.
1933 The day Our Lady of Guadalupe was proclaimed Patroness of Latin America is commemorated in St. Peters Basilica in Rome.
1935 Pius XI named Our Lady of Guadalupe Patroness of the Philippines.
1938 The president of the “Holy Name Society” in California declared Our Lady of Guadalupe to be the Queen of the New World, who should be honored by all Catholics in the United States and Canada.
1941 Archbishop John J. Cantwell of Los Angeles led a delegation of American clergy to Mexico City and petitions that Our Lady of Guadalupe be named Patroness of the United States. The Archbishop of Mexico City, Luis Maria Martinez, gave asmall piece of the tilma to Archbishop Cantwell.
1945 Pius XII stated that the Virgin of Guadalupe was the “Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas” and states that the image was not of this world.
1946 Pope Pius XII declared Our Lady of Guadalupe Patroness of the Americas.
1951 Examination of the image by Carlos Salinas, and found the reflection of a man’s head in the right eye of the image of Our Lady.
1956 Dr. Javier Torroella Bueno, an ophthalmologist, examined the eyes of the Virgin on the tilma and confirmed the existence on human reflections.
1958 Dr. Rafael Torija Lavoignet publishes his study of the Purkinje-Sanson effect which states the reflection of images are inverted in the inner surface of the eyes’ lens, as exhibited in the image of Guadalupe.
1961 Pope John XXIII prayed to her as Mother of the Americas. He addresses her as Mother and Teacher of the Faith to the peoples of the Americas.
1962 Dr. Charles Wahlig, O.D. announced the discovery of two images apparently reflected in the eyes of the Virgin when studying a photograph enlarged twenty five times.
1966 Pope Paul VI sent a Golden Rose to the Basilica.
1975 The glass covering the image was removed so another ophthalmologist, Dr. Enrique Graue, could examine the image.
1976 Dedication of the new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, located four miles from central Mexico City.
1979 John Paul II celebrated mass in the sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe which was his 1st international pilgrimage.
Dr. Jose Aste Tönsmann announced finding of at least four human figures apparently reflected in both eyes of the Virgin. Dr. Aste Tönsmann used sophisticated image processing techniques with digitized photographs of both eyes.
1981 The process of Juan Diego’s canonization was opened.
1988 The liturgical celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th was raised to the status of a feast in all dioceses in the United States.
1990 May 6th – Juan Diego was declared Blessed by Pope John
Paul II at the Vatican.
Pope John Paul II returned to the Basilica in Mexico City to preside over the beatification ceremony of Juan Diego.
1992 Pope John Paul II dedicated a chapel in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Peter’s Basilica.
1999 John Paul II proclaimed Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patroness of the whole American continent.
2001 Msgr. Eduard Chavez is named official postulator for the cause of canonization of Juan Diego.
Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, dedicated the Knights of Columbus to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
2002 Pope John Paul II presided over the canonization of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin in Mexico City.
2003 A relic of the tilma toured the United States. The pilgrimage was organized by the Apostolate for Holy Relics and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and Holy Cross Family Ministries. The relic was then enshrined in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.
Archbishop Norberto Rivera Carrera founded the Guadalupe Studies Institute, led by the postulator of Juan Diego’s Cause for Canonization, Msgr. Eduard Chavez and the vice postulator Prof. Jose Luis Guerrero.
2007 Benedict XVI stated: “When the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to the native Indian Saint Juan Diego, she spoke these important words to him: “Am I not your mother? Are you not under my shadow and my gaze? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not sheltered underneath my mantle, under the embrace of my arms?” Shrine of the Aparecida, Brazil, May 13th, 2007

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