Over 10 million converted
This Thursday is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
On Dec. 9, 1531, just 39 years after Columbus came to the Americas, a Native American convert to Catholicism, named Juan Diego, was walking past the Hill of Tepeyac, just outside of Mexico City. He saw a vision of a young woman, who identified herself as Mary, the “Mother of the very true Deity,” and asked that a church dedicated to her be built on the mountain. He went to the Archbishop of Mexico City and relayed her message to him. As we might expect, he did not believe Juan. Juan went to the site again, and Mary told him to keep asking. He did, and the bishop asked that she give some kind of clear miracle, so that he might know it was truly her.
The next day Juan went to Tepeyac again, and the Blessed Mother was there. He informed her of the bishop’s request. Mary pointed to several bushes of roses, which do not normally bloom in December. Juan gathered the roses into his cactus fiber tunic, known as a tilma, and carried them to the bishop. When the bishop came to him, he let the tunic fall open, and the roses fell to the floor. What astounded the bishop and his assistants was an image of Mary herself on the tunic.
The tilma of Juan Diego is in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world. Studies have been done on the image of Our Lady, and the most remarkable aspect is that when the face of Mary is photographed, and then blown up, you can see the image of Juan Diego, standing in front of Mary, reflected in her eyes.
But the true miracle of Guadalupe are the conversions. Up until that date, the Franciscan friars had very little success at converting the natives from their Aztec beliefs to Christianity. But in the next 10 years, over 10 million were converted. That is around 3,000 per day, for 10 years. The Church has never known this kind of wave of conversions in its history.
On Dec. 9, 1531, just 39 years after Columbus came to the Americas, a Native American convert to Catholicism, named Juan Diego, was walking past the Hill of Tepeyac, just outside of Mexico City. He saw a vision of a young woman, who identified herself as Mary, the “Mother of the very true Deity,” and asked that a church dedicated to her be built on the mountain. He went to the Archbishop of Mexico City and relayed her message to him. As we might expect, he did not believe Juan. Juan went to the site again, and Mary told him to keep asking. He did, and the bishop asked that she give some kind of clear miracle, so that he might know it was truly her.
The next day Juan went to Tepeyac again, and the Blessed Mother was there. He informed her of the bishop’s request. Mary pointed to several bushes of roses, which do not normally bloom in December. Juan gathered the roses into his cactus fiber tunic, known as a tilma, and carried them to the bishop. When the bishop came to him, he let the tunic fall open, and the roses fell to the floor. What astounded the bishop and his assistants was an image of Mary herself on the tunic.
The tilma of Juan Diego is in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world. Studies have been done on the image of Our Lady, and the most remarkable aspect is that when the face of Mary is photographed, and then blown up, you can see the image of Juan Diego, standing in front of Mary, reflected in her eyes.
But the true miracle of Guadalupe are the conversions. Up until that date, the Franciscan friars had very little success at converting the natives from their Aztec beliefs to Christianity. But in the next 10 years, over 10 million were converted. That is around 3,000 per day, for 10 years. The Church has never known this kind of wave of conversions in its history.
St. Juan Diego
The feast of St. Juan Diego is usually on Dec. 9. Because the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated this year on Dec. 9, it supersedes Juan Diego’s feast. Poor Juan!