Our Lady of Guadalupe
Patroness of the Americas • Feast Day: December 12
Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City in December 1531. She left a miraculous image of herself on his tilma (cloak)—an image that defies scientific explanation and still exists today, nearly 500 years later.
Her apparition led to the conversion of millions of indigenous Mexicans to Christianity. She is now honored as the Patroness of the Americas and the patroness of the unborn.
Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose,
intercede for the Church,
protect the Holy Father,
help all who invoke you in their necessities.
Since you are the ever Virgin Mary
and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from your most holy Son
the grace of keeping our faith,
sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life,
burning charity,
and the precious gift of final perseverance.
Amen.
Mary's Words to Juan Diego
"Know for certain, littlest of my sons, that I am the perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God through whom everything lives, the Lord of all things, who is Master of heaven and earth.
"I ardently desire a temple to be built here for me where I will show and offer my love, my compassion, my help, and my protection to the people.
"I am your merciful mother, the merciful mother of all who live united in this land, and of all humanity, of those who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who seek me, of those who have confidence in me.
"Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?"
The Story of the Apparition
In December 1531, just ten years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, a humble indigenous man named Juan Diego was walking to Mass when he heard beautiful music and a woman's voice calling him.
On Tepeyac Hill, he saw a young woman surrounded by light, who identified herself as the Virgin Mary. She asked that a church be built on that site. When Juan Diego told the bishop, he was not believed and asked for a sign.
On December 12, Mary appeared again and told Juan Diego to gather roses from the hilltop—miraculous, as it was winter and the area was rocky. When he opened his tilma before the bishop to release the roses, the image of Our Lady was miraculously imprinted on the fabric.
The tilma, made of cactus fiber that should have deteriorated within 20 years, remains perfectly preserved today in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City—the most visited Catholic shrine in the world.
Patroness Of
- The Americas (North, Central, and South)
- Mexico
- The unborn (pro-life movement)
- Indigenous peoples
Prayer for the Unborn
O Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness of unborn children, we implore your intercession for every child at risk of abortion.
Help expectant mothers to welcome their children with love and to experience the grace of God in times of difficulty. Protect all unborn children and give them the gift of life.
Help us to build a culture of life where every person—born and unborn—is valued and protected.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us. Amen.