Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a series of five Marian apparitions. In an early morning of dawn in December 9, 1531, the Virgin Mother of God appeared to a native convert Saint Juan Diego
In an early morning of dawn in December 9, 1531, the Virgin Mother of God appeared to a native convert Saint Juan Diego. Our Lady asked him to go to the Bishop of Mexico and request him to build a church on the barren hill of Tepeyac Hill outside Mexico City in Her honor and to show her love and compassion to all of her children. Juan Zumamaraga, who was then the Bishop asked Juan Diego to ask Our Lady for a sign. Saint Juan Diego did what the Bishop have asked and Our Lady promised for a sign.
On December 12, 1531, The ever Blessed Mother appeared again to Saint Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill and instructed him to pick the roses of different colors that miraculously bloomed on the hill. These are species of Castillian roses that normally grows in Castile Spain. Saint Juan Diego gather these roses on his Tilma and brought them to Bishop Zummaraga as a sign for him to believe the request of our Lady. He opened the Tilma and to everyone’s surprise, the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on it as Juan Diego have seen it on Tepeyac Hill.
After this miracle, the Bishop then built the Church as Our Lady had requested. More than 10 million natives were converted and baptized to Catholic faith for the next 10 years. Her miraculous portrait continued to venerated at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City until to this day.
