The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The story of Guadalupe is a continuation of the story of God's love for us. It began early in the 16th Century when Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortes arrived in Mexico, bringing Christianity to the Aztec Indians.  The Aztecs worshipped pagan gods, offering a ritual human sacrifice of 50,000 of their young every year.

An Indian peasant, Juan Diego, was among the first Aztec converts to Catholicism.  A devoutly religious man, Juan would walk fifteen miles just to get to church.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God, appeared to Juan Diego requesting to being a message to Bishop Zumarraga to build a church "where I will show and offer all of my love, my compassion, my help and my protection to my people."  The Blessed Mother told Juan Diego that she had come to put an end to the worship of stone gods and ritual of human sacrifice.

The Bishop would not believe Juan Diego without proof.  On December 12, 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary instructed Juan to go to the top of Topeyac Hill where he would find roses growing; to gather them in his tilma (cloak) and bring them to her.  The Blessed Virgin Mary arranged the roses and sent him to reveal them only to the Bishop.  In the presence of the Bishop, Juan released the ends of his tilma; the roses fell to the floor and the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on the tilma.