The Miracle of 1531
On December 9, 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. She asked him to build a church in her honor. When the bishop demanded proof, Juan Diego opened his tilma filled with roses β and revealed her miraculous image imprinted on the cloth.
Nearly 500 years later, the tilma remains intact in the Basilica of Guadalupe β the most visited Marian shrine in the world.
Every Symbol Has Meaning
The miraculous image speaks to both Spanish and Aztec hearts:
β¨ Sun rays behind her β Greater than the Aztec sun god
β¨ Stars on her mantle β The heavens on December 12, 1531
β¨ Black sash at her waist β She is pregnant with the Son of God
β¨ Hands folded in prayer β She points us to her Son
Mary's Promise
"Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more?"
β Our Lady to Juan Diego, 1531
