by Carolyn Tytler

Created on: February 20, 2009

The Virgin of Guadalupe is one of the titles given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, following four appearances she made to a Mexican peasant in 1531.

Missionaries who first came to Mexico with the Spanish conquistadors had little success in the beginning. After nearly a generation, only a few hundred Native Mexicans had been converted. Whether they simply did not understand Christianity or whether they resented these people who made them slaves, the new religion was not popular among the native people.

Then miracles began to happen.

Juan Diego was an Aztec Indian, 56 years old, who had recently converted to Catholicism. On December 9, 1531, he was walking through the Tepayac hill country in central Mexico on his way to Mass.

Suddenly a beautiful woman appeared before him and spoke to him in his native tongue. She told him she was Mary, mother of the God who is Lord of heaven and earth. She asked him to go to the bishop and request that church be built in her honor at the place where they were standing.

Juan did as he was asked, but Bishop-elect Zumarraga did not immediately believe him. He told Juan he would consider the request and sent him on his way. Feeling discouraged, Juan returned to the hill where he had met Mary, and found her waiting for him.

On hearing the Bishop's response, she instructed Juan to return and ask the Bishop again. She asked him to return the following day with the Bishop's reply.

The Bishop, after hearing Juan's story again, said he wanted the lady to give him a sign, something that proved she really was who she claimed to be. Dutifully, the message was relayed to the beautiful lady. She promised the sign would be given when Juan returned the following day.

However, Juan was delayed. His Uncle Bernardino was dying of a fever, and his nephew ran to a nearby convent to find a priest. Juan ran around on the other side of the hill to avoid the lady. He felt he had no time for another trip to the Bishop right then. However, Mary came down the opposite side of the hill to meet him.

She assured him that his uncle was cured, and Juan believed her. She then instructed him to go to the hilltop and gather the roses he found there. Even though it was winter, Juan found a bed of beautiful white roses blooming exactly where the lady had indicated.

He put a good number of them into his cloak or tilma and returned. The Holy Mother rearranged the roses, and instructed Juan to leave them untouched and unseen until he reached the Bishop.

When he came into the presence

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