OUR LADY OF THE THUNDERBOLT, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Our Lady of the Thunderbolt is known as one of the principal advocates for those with urgent needs. Along with St. Jude, of course! She resides in the city of Guadalajara, the second largest city in the country in the western state of Jalisco. It is an elegant, bustling city, abounding with parks and fountains and plazas. It also boasts as having one of the best climates in the world on a parallel with Nairobi, Kenya. That is why frozen Northerners often flock there in the winter.

Her miraculous statue is located in the convent adjoining the Church of Jesus Maria, a five- minute walk from the Guadalajara Cathedral and the zocalo (the central plaza of the city). She could well be called “the St. Jude of Guadalajara” so popular is she in that part of the country. And to top it all off, she has the most fascinating history:

It all began over 200 years ago on August 13, 1887. That was a night to remember in the Dominican convent of Jesus Maria. At 2:30 in the morning a violent thunderstorm erupted. This was a common occurrence in the “rainy season” (July to October) in Guadalajara. Since 1792 the nuns had lived in the convent uneventfully. This was all to change—

While the nuns were asleep in their quarters on this fateful night the storm raged in full force. Thunder rolled and crackled all around the sky; rain pounded at the windows. Waking everyone, a tremendous crash shook the convent to its foundations.

In the dormitory lightning had hit the statue of Mary! Smoke filled the room, and the smell of burning wood was everywhere—the convent was on fire! The terrified nuns fled for their lives.

Once the fire was safely extinguished the nuns returned to the convent to assess the damage. A sad sight met their eyes—the statue of Mary, long neglected and forgotten, had been damaged beyond repair; its crystal eyes had been shattered, its face blackened and blistered, its vestments, scorched. The pearl rosary which encircled the statue was now black and twisted.

Strangely, the Infant Jesus in His Mother’s arms was completely untouched by the fire, as were the two paintings hanging on the wall on either side of the statue, one of St. Dominic and the other of the Most Holy Trinity. All the nuns were safe. One of the nuns who was sleeping inches away from the statue miraculousy escaped, unharmed in the slightest.

A Mass of thanksgiving was offered the next day in gratitude for Our Lady’s protection during the disaster. The statue of Mary (heretofore neglected) was relegated to a place of honour in the convent chapel.

This is not the end of the story. Five days later, on August 18, 1807, two workmen and some nuns were in the chapel in the middle of the afternoon. Without warning, the chapel turned as black as night. Another storm was on its way. Before the startled eyes of the onlookers, the statue of Mary began to shine with an intense, unearthly glow. The stupefied occupants of the chapel were petrified! They wanted to bolt from the room but found themselves unable to move. Mesmerized, they stood as if “turned to stone,” their eyes riveted on the image.

In the next moment a loud bolt of thunder crashed through the chapel, followed by an “extraordinary” flash of lightning. The whole chapel became illuminated with an unusual, brilliant light. The drama was just beginning!

Several times the statue changed color, from rosy pink to white, then back again. As if this were not enough, the eyes which had been shattered opened up and became as bright as diamonds. The blackened features of Our Lady’s face turned to peachy-pink. In fact, the entire statue looked better than it had originally. The Rosary which had become darkened and distorted by the first lightning strike, became perfectly restored by the second.

These events were verified by an official investigation conducted by the chaplain of the church of Jesus Maria and the future Bishop of the state of Michoacan, Don Jose Maria Gomez y Villasenor. Understandably, the fame of Our Lady of the Thunderbolt grew exponentially as the events of August 18^th were made known.

She was pontifically crowned on Aug. 18, 1940, in the Cathedral of Guadalajara. The sixth Archbishop of the city, Don Jose Garibi Rivera, acted as the Papal delegate. The majestic statue is 41” (104 cm) high and the eyes have a slightly downward cast. The Infant Jesus is carried in her left arm. Both Mother and Child are dressed in exquisitely adorned vestments and gold crowns studded with precious gems and jewels. Thousands of testimonies placed near the sanctuary give witness to her powerful powers of intercession. Such evidence gives proof that she is well deserving of her title “Patroness of Urgent Needs.” It seems that St. Jude just might have some powerful competition coming his way!

Mary Hansen

This article has been re-printed with permission from THE CANADIAN MESSENGER OF THE SACRED HEART