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St. Juan Diego
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July 12, 1474 - May 30, 1548
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Juan Diego received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary from December 9 -12, 1531- He was instructed to ask the Bishop to build a church on the site
- Bishop Zumarraga demanded proof
- "Our Lady" instructed Juan Diego to return tomorrow
- The next day Castilian roses (which are native to Spain, home of the Bishop) appeared in the winter on Tepayac Hill
- Juan was instructed to pick the roses and place them in his tilma
- "Our Lady" then arranged the roses in the tilma and told Juan to present them to the Bishop as proof
- Upon presentation of the roses to the Bishop, the image of "Our Lady of Guadalupe" was found on the tilma
- This is the only apparition where "Our Lady" left a picture of herself !
- The 480-year-old image is on display in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City
- Juan Diego was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II
- St. Juan's Feast Day - December 9th
- Our Lady of Guadalupe's Feast Day - December 12th
- In the Eastern Church, December 9th is also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception !
- The image which was placed on the tilma was described in the Book of Revelation 12:1-2
- Reflections in "Our Lady’s" eyes on the image possess the effects of image refraction in a living eye.
- In Aztec culture,the black ribbon around her waist signifies she is with child
- Also in Aztec culture, the turquoise mantle, is a sign of divine royalty
- Scientists from NASA and Nobel Prize winners were not able to determined how the image was generated...it was not painted, no brush strokes, more like a photocopy (which wasn't invented until 1937, 408 years later) -news story-
- Scientists created replicas of the image on tilma's and they deteriorated in 10 years!
- Mass is celebrated at least 30 times per day in the Basilica and smaller chapels!
- The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the largest churches in the world !
- Approximately 20 million pilgrims visit the image per year and the church can accommodate 40,000 people for a Mass !
The bomb attack:- November 14, 1921 a bomb, hidden in a floral arrangement, exploded at the base of the image
- The blast destroyed the marble steps in the altar of the Basilica
- The concussion blew out windows of neighboring homes
- A metal crucifix on the altar was bent like a pretzel and is on display in the Basilica
- The 400+-year-old image on a piece of cloth woven from cactus fibers framed with plain glass was unharmed!
Saint Anthony Chapel has a relic of St. Juan Diego
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