Despite its remote location the shrine of Our Lady of Juquila in Oaxaca is one of the most important religious sites in the state. Two million people travel there annually. The shrine is located half-way between the city of Oaxaca and the town of Puerto Escondido on the coast. And what a marvel of a trip it is! It is an experience of stupendous, beautiful mountainous scenery with untold hairpin turns! Definitely not for the faint of heart!

And our Lady of Juquila has the most fascinating history—

In 1522 Dominican friar Jordan de Santa Caterina arrived in Oaxaca, bringing with him a diminutive wooden statue (she is only 30 cm tall) from Spain. He was the first missionary to bring Christianity to the region and was also the Master of Novices for his Order. The petite statue accompanied him everywhere in his work of evangelization. When he was leaving Oaxaca to work in another location, he gave his beloved statue to a young servant who loved the statue as much as he did. He lived in the village of Amialtepec and placed the statue on an altar in his hut.

And soon—miracles abounded! She became known as “The Virgin of the Afflicted” who answered so many prayers. So many miracles occurred that her fame “exploded.”

In time church authorities built a church for her in Amialtepec but disaster occurred in 1633. The entire town, including the church, was destroyed by fire! “But what became of the miraculous statue?” you might well ask.

Well, to everyone’s shock, the statue survived the flames intact. Not even its robes or its hair was damaged by the fire. It was the only object in the entire town which survived the holocaust. With this miraculous event, her fame spread even more!

In 1716 Bishop Angel Maldonado issued a decree that the image be moved to Santa Catarina Juquila where a sumptuous temple was built in her honour. It was constructed between the 18^th and 19^th centuries and is a masterpiece of understated neoclassical and baroque elements.

“A constant flow of pilgrims” arrives to pay homage to Our Lady of Juquila, particularly on her Dec. 8^th feastday. She has transformed the once-sleepy town of Juquila into a “miraculous little place.” On Oct. 8, 2014, she was papally crowned, “joining her previously crowned Oaxaca sister, Our Lady of Soledad,” who was crowned in 1909.

You can read the story of La Soledad in the Madonnas of Mexico website archives of May 2021.

Santo Domingo Church, in the historical centre of Mexico City, is the Mother Church of the Dominican Order in Mexico. According to chroniclers it is rated as “one of the finest churches in the capital as well as one of the oldest.”

The original church was built in 1571 just a few years after the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez. Because of the “sinking of the city” (due to the city being built on subterranean, sandy soil)) it was, by 1607, “almost nine feet out of the perpendicular”!! At this point King Philip ll ordered the church to be restored, but by 1716 it had sunk again!

The original Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also in Mexico City, suffered the same fate. You can see the old Basilica beside the new Basilica. When you are inside the old Basilica you will notice this “sinking” aspect as soon as you enter the building. It has a decided slant to it!

The present-day Dominican church had to be rebuilt on its foundations and was completed in 1736. It was consecrated in 1754 by Dominican bishop, Fray Francisco Pallas and is considered “one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Mexico.”

Its stunning Rosary chapel is the setting for the church’s “principal treasure,” a “jewel-life figure of Our Lady of the Rosary. According to one historian, the life-sized statue of Our Lady of the Rosary “seems to be a living figure.” “The eyes appear to move, the figure to respire and the face to be alight with a thousand changes of expression. Even the Infant on His Mother’s arm looks as though He were about to speak.” You may be able to notice this phenomenon even from the photograph posted in this article.

La Capilla del Rosario—The Rosary Chapel—is the shrine and spiritual headquarters for the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. It was founded in 1538 “only a few years after Cortes conquered the armies of Moctezuma”. The Dominican chronicler, Fray Juan Jose Moya, writing in 1757, affirms that the work of the Confraternity was already remarkable even in the early years of its existence. They did many works of mercy for the poor and struggling in the city. The devotion to THE PERPETUAL ROSARY has its headquarters at the shrine and at any hour of the day one is sure to see several people praying the Rosary before the altar.

On October 14, 1945, “by the authority of His Holiness Pius XII, the coronation of Our Lady of the Rosary with the pontifical crown took place.” A sublime honour for Our Lady of the Rosary!

And there she resigns today in her golden chapel.

Salve Regina!

Our Lady of the Regla is the patrona of the archdiocese of Chihuahua, the largest and most prosperous state in the country (its surface area covers 70% of that of Spain). As travel guides state: “It was silver that put Chihuahua on the map.” It is Mexico’s leading producer of silver. The northern city was founded in 1709 after lodes of silver were discovered in its environs. Not surprisingly, the first Spanish settlers in the region were miners!

But back to the subject of our discussion: Our Lady of the Regla. What do we know of her? What are her origins? How did she get her name? Most people have never heard of her and hers is a most dramatic history! A history involving one of our most beloved saints, and a history involving one of our most famous explorers.

The endearing, (DISCLOSURE: it is one of my favourite images of Our Lady in Mexico)  life-sized statue of Our Lady of the Regla can be found above the major altar in the magnificent cathedral of Chihuahua, a church known for its “marvellous” baroque-façade adorned with statues of the twelve Apostles. It is reputed to be one of the most beautiful structures in northern Mexico. The church was begun in 1725 by Bishop Benito Crespo y Montroy and was completed in 1789. The “impressive” twin-towered church is constructed of ochre-coloured stone and was built by Jose de la Cruz, the master builder who was in charge of the construction until his death in 1734. In 1891 Chihuahua was established as a bishopric at which time the church was raised to the level of a cathedral. Quite a transformation of the once small, adobe chapel! An elegant marble altar was imported from Italy by Bishop Guizar y Valencia (his story can be found in the archives here for June 2021) and set in place in the cathedral in 1930.

May 10, 1990, was a historic day for the citizens of Chihuahua: St.Pope John Paul ll visited the cathedral on that day. The chair upon which he presided is found in the museum adjoining the nave of the church.

But how did the statue find its way into the cathedral?

One of the wealthy miners of a mine in Chihuahua, Don Antonio de Transvira y Retes, had a fervent devotion to Our Lady of Regla, an image he brought from Spain; he donated it to the cathedral. The statue can be seen by visitors to the cathedral to the present day.

More about the fascinating story of her origins:

From a 17^th century written chronicle we read about her history: “It was the year 430.” The vandals invaded North Africa and were near the city of Hippo, home of St. Augustine, the founder of the Augustinian religious Order. He had in his possession his treasured, sacred image of Our Lady of the Regla. Thirty years after his death some Augustinian monks brought the “precious” image to the area of Cadiz. In subsequent years Don Alfonso Perez de Guzman, who founded a monastery of canon regulars, built a castle named Regla. Thus, the name of our statue!

During the Arab invasion of Spain in 713, the friars hid the image in a well underneath a fig tree on the grounds of the monastery. It remained hidden for 616 years until 1329 when it was found by a canon regular of the Cathedral of Leon. Once discovered, the Virgin “received great devotion” principally in the south of Spain, especially in the province of Cadiz, where was built the sanctuary of Chipiona, in her honour. The statue became revered because of its many miracles and devotion to her spread throughout Spain and also to Cuba, Bolivia, Santo Domingo, the Philippines and Mexico.

It is interesting to note that the sanctuary was originally a castle fortress owned by the family of the explorer Ponce de Leon, of history book fame. Juan Ponce de Leon (1474-1521) is known for leading the first European expedition to Florida. He also served as the first governor of Puerto Rico (Wikipedia). Members of the Ponce de Leon family donated the castle to the Augustinian hermit monks in 1399, who converted it into a church in honour of Our Lady of the Regla, today known as the elegant sanctuary of Chipiona.

A prayer to Our Lady of the Regla found in the cathedral of Chihuahua:

“Oh, Mother, Holy Mary of the Regla, the people of Chihuahua live under your powerful protection!  Guide us by your light and that of your Son and bring us securely to the port of salvation.”

‘The story of Our Lady of Valvanera began in the ninth century in the lush wooded valley of Valvenera, Spain, a place of stunning scenery high in the Pyrenees mountains of northern Spain. The first history of Valvenera was written by Abbot Don Gonzalo de Berceo in the 10^th century.

The main character in our history is a ne’er do well known as Nuno Onez who was born in Montenegro. Nuno’s problem? He refused to work! Instead, he turned to a life of crime and robbery, much to his parents’ chagrin. “They wept daily over their wayward son,” reports this earliest chronicle.

One day while hiding in the woods near his home, Nuno spied his next victim: A farmworker. Nuno sharpened his knife and prepared to pounce on the innocent peasant. Crouching ever nearer to his latest victim, Nuno was surprised to hear the fellow talking. “But who was he talking to?” wondered the startled robber. There was no one else around. Nuno crept even closer. To his amazement the farmworker was on his knees—praying to God! Nuno listened. Rapt. In wonderment. At the sight of this humble man pouring out his heart to God. At this moment Nuno experienced total repentance and begged God for pardon for his life of crime. “I am the worst of men!” he cried out. Nuno’s “heart of stone” was changed in an instant.

The humbled Nuno retired to a cave, close to the city of Anguiano, to pray and do penance for his life of depravity. In a short while he was joined by a priest known as Domingo from the town of Brieva.

One day while Nuno was in his cave, he was visited by an angel “with a joyful face.” The angel directed him to go to Valvanera where he would find a giant oak tree, “outstanding in its height,” towering over all the other trees in the forest. “Inside that tree you will find an image of the Virgin,” the angel told an astonished Nuno. Nuno promptly set out for Valvanera to find the Virgin. In the meantime Domingo returned to the cave and found it empty. “Where could Nuno be?” he pondered, perplexed. In a short while he found Nuno and heard the incredible story about the angel.

Together they ventured through the forest and found the giant tree. In the cavity of the tree they were amazed to find a statue of Our Lady caressing her Son on her knee. Just as the angel had foretold. She was swarmed by a hive of worker bees! At the foot of the tree a fountain had sprouted forth. The pair were ecstatic to discover such a marvel and set about to construct a small chapel to house their “magnificent treasure.”

One of the first pilgrims to visit the image of Our Lady of Valvanera was Nuno’s sister, Coloma, who was blind. She was cured of her blindness immediately. Within several years one hundred and six hermits formed a community of Benedictine monks to serve Our Lady of Valvanera.

Devotion to Our Lady of Valvanera spread throughout Spain, from “Gerona to Coruna, from Asturia to Seville.” Generations of pilgrims through the centuries visited the shrine devoted to Our Lady of Valvanera. Such noble personages as Queen Isabella “La Catolica” and saints such as St. Dominic also visited the shrine.

Devotion to Our Lady of Valvanera arrived in Mexico with the Spanish missionaries in the 16^th century. One of her principal shrines in Mexico is that of the majestic and immense Maronite cathedral of Our Lady of Valvanera and the sanctuary of St. Charbel. Its actual name is CATEDRAL MARONITA TEMPLO DE NTRA. DE VALVANERA Y SANCTUARIO DE SAN CHARBEL. It is located in the historical centre of Mexico City, a short walk from the zocalo (the city’s central plaza). The church was originally built in the 16^th century and in 1922 it became a church of the Maronite Order in response to the growing number of immigrants from Lebanon who had arrived in the diocese.

You might well ask: “But who is St. Charbel?” If you have visited any number of churches in Mexico you would soon know who he is! He seems to be ubiquitous in the country! His statue is generally depicted with streams of brightly-coloured ribbons dangling from his figure. These are testimonials from petitioners who are intensely grateful for the saint’s intercession.

St. Charbel (whose birth name was Youssef Anton Makhlouf) was named after one of the martyrs in second century Antioch. He was born in 1828 in Lebanon and was ordained a priest in the Maronite Catholic rite in 1859. Living as a hermit and a monk, he was known for his copious miracles both during and after his life. He died in 1898 and for 45 days after his death, dazzling lights were seen emanating from his grave. In 1952 his body was exhumed and found perfectly incorrupt. St. Charbel was canonized by St. Pope Paul VI in 1977.

A prayer to Our Lady of Valvanera is found in a booklet NOVENA A SANTAMARIA DE VALVANERA which was available in the church: It is asking Our Lord to lead us to the home of the Father and asking Our Lady of Valvanera, Queen of heaven and earth, to pray for us!

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I simply could not wait to visit the shrine of LA SOLEDAD, “this magnificent temple,” built in the neo-classical style, which I had heard so much about. It was reputed to be one of the most beautiful churches in this mountainous, northern state of Zacatecas. I had read about the “peace of the sanctuary”, “the beauty of its architecture” and the “tenderness of Our Lady of Solitude”— this “maternal figure” which resides over the main altar of the church named in her honour.

I was not disappointed. Stepping inside of this church, which was built in 1805, is like stepping into the middle of a serene and lovely summer afternoon—all is full of light and brightness and cheer.

The figure of LA SOLEDAD, known as the Mother of the Jerezanos, is the town’s patron. In 1824 she was proclaimed the Patrona of this charming, colonial city of Jerez, located 57 km (35 mi.) from the capital city of Zacatecas.

Devotion to Our Lady of  Solitude began in the 18^th century in this area of Mexico. And what an intriguing history she has! It all began one day when two young men arrived in a barrio of the town of Jerez, known as Barrio de San Miguel Arcangel.  They brought a mule with them who was carrying a wooden box on its back. They were passing through the town and spoke to a married Indian woman who was a recent convert to Christianity. They asked her about lodging for the night and she joyfully admitted the strangers to her home.

The next morning, however, the two men had disappeared, and, to everyone’s shock, the mule was found dead in the woman’s yard. The wooden box had been abandoned and was found alongside the mule. The woman told her priest about the strange occurrence. He decided that the couple should bring the box to the church on several consecutive Sundays and he would make the announcement about the mysterious box from the pulpit. But no one came forward to claim it!

At this juncture the priest decided that the box should be opened in the presence of several witnesses. The mayor and several town officials gathered in the town’s central plaza to open the box. To their astonishment they discovered a bust of the Virgin Mary inside the box! She became known as La Senora de la Soledad. She would become associated with many miracles in the years to come. She became a favourite of the miners in the rich mines of Zacatecas. Even before this time, as early as the 16^th century, the miners had had a fervent devotion to the Virgin Mary. They claimed La Soledad as their own when her discovery became known!

As early as 1714 one of the altars in the sanctuary of San Miguel was dedicated to her. This church became the earliest home for La Soledad. Historical records indicate her popularity: that statues of her image could be found in several houses of the town in the 1700’s. Records reveal that a letter by a priest in 1729 showed that his grandmother had an image of La Soledad in her home in Jerez

The statue of Our Lady, “young, serene and of singular beauty” measures 1 m. 47 cm (a little over 4 ft. tall). It has been restored several times. Her   eyes are lowered, saddened, reflecting the sorrows of her heart after her Son’s Crucifixion.

A solemn honour was bestowed on the image of Our Lady of Solitude several decades ago: On Nov. 11, 1959, she was pontifically crowned with the authorization of Pope John XXlll.

One devotee (Victor Villa) wrote this prayer as he was departing from the church of La Soledad:

“Good-bye my Mother, my Mother of Consolation. Be my protection and guide in the forces of my life. Good-bye Holy Mary, Mother of my life.”

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY: SANTO DOMINGO CHURCH, OAXACA, OAXACA

Tourists flock to the city of Oaxaca, a “charming, colonial gem” which boasts of a superb climate. It is a five-hour drive southeast of Mexico City and is located in a valley surrounded by the towering Sierra Madre Del Sur mountains. Oaxaca’s historical centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The city was conquered by the Spanish in 1533 and was originally a  Zapotec and Mixtec settlement.

There are more than twenty-seven churches in the city and the enormous Church of Santo Domingo (named after the Spanish founder of the Dominican Order, Dominic Guzman) is one of the most prized. “None can equal the splendor of this one’s interior,” says one guidebook. Another says: “Of the many churches in the city, this is the one most likely to take your breath away.” It was begun in 1572 by the Dominican Order and is considered one of the finest Baroque churches in the western world. We are told not to be misled by the simple façade! It hides “an interior that dazzles with gilded plaster and coloured stucco in a sublime combination of Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque and Moorish styles.”

The “remarkable” Capilla del Rosario is exceptional and is considered the most stunning of the church’s twelve side altars. This is only fitting given the central role of the Rosary in the Dominican Order! They spared no expense in building this outstanding chapel. It was constructed in 1731 and at its centre is the “white-robed virgin” flanked by four golden, spiral columns. She was brought from Italy in 1725. Its chapel is considered the most “rococo” (Baroque) altar in the country!

The church functioned as a convent from 1608 until 1857. During the wars of independence it was used as a barracks for the soldiers. As a result of the Reform Laws it was abandoned by the Dominicans, only to be occupied by the army. From 1866 to 1902 it was closed for worship, and was “looted and wrecked.” During those tumultuous times the treasured statue of Our Lady of the Rosary (and many others) was hidden in private homes, safe from the marauding mobs. In 1938 the church was given back to the clergy.

The members of the Dominican Order were missionaries from the beginning. The Order was founded by Spanish Dominic de Guzman in 1215 and was sanctioned by Pope Innocent lll. The Dominicans arrived in America in the 16^th century in answer to a call from Hernan Cortez,. The first Dominicans arrived in Mexico in 1526, two years after the arrival of the first evangelizers, the Franciscans, who arrived after the Spanish Conquest in 1521.

In 1529, Fray Domingo de Betanzos, the first Dominican Provincial of New Spain, ordered his community to establish a Dominican presence in Oaxaca. In 1552 twelve friars were sent to oversee the construction of the first monastery. The church was damaged by several earthquakes over the centuries (Oaxaca is an earthquake-prone state) and in 1902 Archbishop Gillow began the work of restoration. Through wars and earthquakes and looting and sabotage, Our Lady of the Rosary has always protected the magnificent church of Santo Domingo and her flock in Oaxaca!

In the year 1527 King Charles V of Spain spent Holy Week at the Franciscan Monastery of Barajo near the city of Burgos in northern Spain. Friar Juan de Zumarraga was the prior of the monastery at this time. So impressed was the King by Friar Zumarraga’s holiness and capabilities that a year later, in 1528, he recommended that he become the first bishop of Mexico.  His official title would be “Protector of the Indians.”

One might wonder why a Franciscan would be chosen for such a significant and important position out of all the other Orders. According to scholar, Father Peter Damian Fehlner, this should not be a surprise: in his opinion, the spirituality of St. Francis played a “predominant role in shaping the mind and heart of Catholic Spain during the late 15^th and 16^th centuries” long before Fray Juan de Zumarraga arrived on the scene. After Spanish Hernan Cortez’ conquest of the Aztecs in 1521 it was the Franciscans who were chosen to become the first evangelizers of New Spain.

In 1524 the first missionary group of friars arrived, twelve “exemplary” Franciscans, to be popularly known as “The  Twelve Apostles.” Robert Ricard, in his Spiritual Conquest of Mexico, writes about the “exceptional worth of these friars.” According to Carl Anderson in Our Lady of Guadalupe  they were considered “some of the most learned and holy priests” in Spain. They fanned out across the country and within a decade founded over 80 churches, schools and hospitals. Many of these Franciscan churches were magnificent and impressive structures which can be seen by any tourist visiting Mexico today. The one in Izamal, Yucatan, (painted in a vivid yellow colour), for example, is so large that it dominates the whole town.

The friars established their first mission headquarters at the church of St. James at Tlaltelolco (in present-day Mexico City) over the site of a former pagan temple which was dedicated to Huitzilopochtili, the god of war. It was here that the friars gave catechism lessons and baptized and confirmed the first Christians in the country.

No one was more suited to fill the task of bishop in these new lands than the kindly Juan de Zumarraga who was born in 1468 to a noble family in the Basque provinces of northern Spain. He was an outstanding scholar, an ascetic, and a friar, zealous for the Lord. Many saw in him a “perfect, living copy of his spiritual father, St. Francis”. A humble friar to the core, he lived the austere life of a Franciscan, rising in the middle of the night for his Office prayers, observing all of the fasts and travelling everywhere on foot. And barefoot at that.

When he arrived in Mexico in 1528, however, conditions were not favourable for evangelization. Not in any way. Conditions were dangerous for the missionaries! Conditions were so grave that the bishop wrote a secret letter to the King apprising him of the appalling situation in New Spain, saying, “If God does not provide the remedy from His Hand, the land is about to be completely lost.” The Spanish, a tiny group vastly outnumbered by the Aztecs, feared that a massacre was imminent. They all feared for their lives. At every second.

Historians generally believe that, had this general insurrection occurred, the Aztecs would have wiped out the entire Spanish presence in Mexico, thus profoundly transforming the course of history on this continent.

The Spanish civil authorities, known as The First Audience, did everything in their power to stop this letter from being sent. Censorship of all mail was absolute. They “patrolled the roads, inspected ships from deck to ballast and forbade anyone to accept letters from any friar unless the authorities read it first.” At great personal risk, Bishop Zumarraga, who had the courage of an apostle, brought the letter to a sailor at the port of Veracruz, to be smuggled across the ocean, hidden in “a roll of bacon in a keg of oil”.

“What on earth was going on?” one would well ask. The answer was this: this first group of administrators  from Spain was led by a cruel tyrant named Nuno de Guzman. These Spanish civil authorities, “goaded by avarice” and “bloodthirsty gluttons for power” tortured and murdered many innocents, enslaved the Indians, kidnapped their women and children, levied atrocious fines and taxes and stole and burned their property. When the bishop and the friars protested sternly and vehemently against such abuses, a number of the friars were assaulted by Guzman and his underlings. Even Zumarraga, himself, was threatened by Guzman. The bishop wrote in his letter: “The persecution that the president and his judges carry on against the monks and the clergy is worse than that of Herod and Diocletian” (Life of Bishop Zumarraga by Garcia Icazbalceta). (As soon as the King received the letter he recalled the First Audience and replaced them with a second group, men of honour and benevolent character.)

Bishop Zumarraga, who had, like all Franciscans, a deep devotion to Our Lady, begged her intercession. Repeatedly and urgently. Unknown to anyone, he asked her to send him some Castilian roses as a sign that she had heard his desperate plea.

Considering the situation with the Spanish overlords, it is no wonder that so few baptisms had taken place. In actual fact many hid in their homes or the forests or behind trees when they saw the friars approaching! There were some, however, who did not flee. They came to Tlaltelolco, to the church of St. James and sat “spellbound” listening to the friars as they spoke about “Our Lady and her precious Son” who loved them without measure. (photo of this church is the first photo shown below—note the ruins in the foreground).What a contrast to the frightful religion of the Aztecs that they had known all their life! A religion whose gods demanded human sacrifice on a scale unknown to man. Historian Warren Carroll, author of Our Lady of Guadalupe and The Conquest of Mexico said that at least 50,000 people a year were sacrificed. The early Mexican historian Ixthlilxochitl estimated that one out of every five children in Mexico were killed to appease the gods. It is known, he said, that “entire tribes, numbering in the tens of thousands, were on several occasions, exterminated by sacrifice.”

One of these early Christians was a middle-aged Chichimeca Indian named Juan Diego who was born in 1474. He, along with his wife and his uncle, became the first Christians in the country.

This was the visitor who came to see Bishop Zumarraga on Dec. 9, 1531. What a strange story he told! He spoke about a “beautiful Mestizo Lady” whose clothing “was shining like the sun.” She called him “My son, my youngest son, Juanito” (a term of endearment). And what words of comfort she spoke to him: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Why do you worry?   You are in the hollow of my mantle! You are under my protection!”

The Bishop was puzzled: Could it be true? Could it really be Our Lady? Could his prayers be soon answered? He knew as a bishop he must be so prudent, so cautious, so skeptical. And yet—there was something about the man’s innate goodness, his humility that made him wonder. I know, I will ask him for a sign, he thought. That should put an end to the matter once and for all. He was surprised when Juan seemed delighted with this request! And eager to have it fulfilled!

At her next appearance Our Lady instructed  Juan to go to the summit of the hill and gather the flowers that he would see there. “There you will find a large variety of flowers” she predicted.

Juan, himself, was a little skeptical about this request: At this time of year? When everything is frozen? On such rocky soil? Still, he persevered to carry out Our Lady’s request: When he arrived at the summit of the hill “he was astounded to find that quantities of roses had blossomed there, out of season.”

On Dec. 12, 1531, the same Juan Diego appeared yet again, to see the bishop. But, this time, he was carrying a bouquet of Castilian roses! The bishop was astounded: Our Lady was answering his pleas!

Juan was startled to see the bishop on his knees! “His lips were parted in prayer and his eyes glistened tears—his transfigured gaze was turned upward.” He was staring at Juan’s tilma. But why? Bewildered, Juan looked at his cloak: Oh!—There was the exact image of the Blessed Virgin who appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill!

Within days the bishop authorized that a small chapel be built to house the miraculous image. He also appointed Juan Diego to be the perpetual guardian of the sacred image for the rest of his life.

“Absolutely everyone, the entire city, without exception, trembled when they went to behold her precious image. They marvelled at something divine,” reported The Nican Mapohua (the earliest written accounts of the apparitions).

Franciscan historian, Toribio de Benavente, one of the original twelve, declared that within a decade of the Guadalupe miracle nine million Aztecs and other Indians had converted to the Christian faith.

In 1548 Bishop Zumarraga was appointed as the first Archbishop of the New World.

Juan Diego died on May 30, 1548. Archbishop Zumarraga died three days later. They had fulfilled their mission. Two loyal sons of the Church. The two main protaganists in the Guadalupe miracle would now be in the presence of their beloved Our Lady of Tepeyac for all eternity. And the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City would become one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world. (Photo of the old Basilica and the new one, the round building, is shown below; it is the second photo of the list of photos).

This article is reprinted with permission from ONE PETER FIVE under the title: “Protector of the Indians.”

“The church is on fire! The church is on fire!” shrieked the startled church-goers as they fled outside to safety. The padre of the church of Our Lady of Tonatico had invited all from the surrounding parishes to celebrate the blessing of the new church. Within minutes of the first flames, the roof crashed in, and the entire church became a mass of burning timbers.

There was one consolation, however; the beloved life-sized statue of Our Lady of Tonatico was undamaged by the fire. But, stranger than fiction, the statue was found outside of the church! “How did it get there?” everyone wondered. All present swore that they had not touched it. Furthermore, this was one very large statue—there is no way that it could have been removed from the church clandestinely! The mystery has not been solved to the present day. And there was one other matter: although the statue was undamaged by the fire, it had changed in one remarkable way. Our Lady’s face was now tilted upward (visible in the photo of the statue) as though she was “watching the destruction of the church.”

From then on, the devotion of the residents of Tonatico increased exponentially to their Virgin. Soon miracles were being reported and this phenomenon continues to the present day. So many favours were being recounted that an entire building had to be constructed to display such testimonials of thanksgiving. Many of them begin with the words “DOY GRACIAS” which means “I give thanks” in Spanish.

These testimonials are in the form of Ex-Votos which testify to the gratitude of those giving thanks for Our Lady’s goodness and mercy. They can be found in many churches in Mexico although not to the extent that they are displayed in Tonatico.

They are small paintings, usually painted on tin, which illustrate the predicament or danger that the person is facing. A statue of Our Lady of Tonatico is present in the painting and we see the petitioners praying for her intercession. These are painted by popular artists and are dated and signed with the person’s name. It is a way of giving public thanks to God through his mother.

The testimonials go back in time to the 1780s and continue to the present day. We read a testimony from Eva Diaz Gomez on Jan. 2, 1990 : she had a tumour on her toe and was not able to go to school because of her illness. She thanked Our Lady for her “recovery” that she could now continue with her studies. On March 23, 1987, “the child, Mario Gomez de Coatepec, from Harinas, Mexico, fell in a tank of water and was drowned. I implored Our Lady of Tonatico and in half an hour the child became alive. Thanks to the little Virgin for returning him to life.”

The story of Dan Manuel Zarinara is another favourite with the Tonaticenses: One day in 1783 he was out in the fields with his workers and a bolt of lighting struck one of the workmen, who fell to the earth, apparently dead. Imploring the intercession of Our Lady of Tonatico, “the inanimate figure was seen to move and soon recovered consciousness.”

Built in 1660, the Shrine of Our Lady of Tonatico, a superb “architectural gem” in the neoclassical style, attracts more than a million visitors during its feastday (which begins the last Sunday of January and ends on Candlemas Day, February 2nd). Pilgrims come to pay homage to their much revered Our Lady of Tonatico. And they come by the thousands during the rest of the year as well—

“In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue—”

A chant familiar to every school-aged child in America. That famous date. It marked the year that Christopher Columbus, the Italian-born navigator, departed from Spain and discovered the continent of America. Over the next few decades more Spaniards would follow in his wake. One of these was Hernan Cortez, the Spanish conquistador, whose miniscule army would defeat the massive military might of the Aztec empire in 1521.

Cortez and his soldiers left Spain prepared for battle. Not only did they carry military weapons they carried spiritual weapons as well. Part of this spiritual cache was a selection of several wooden statues of the Virgin Mary. One of these would become the most revered of them all: the statue of Los Remedios (Our Lady of the Remedies).

Sculptured in the city of Tolosa, Spain, in the 14^th century, she has the distinction of being one of the oldest statues of Mary on the American continent. Los Remedio was to play an important role in the Spanish conquest of Mexico: She accompanied Cortes and his soldiers in 1519 on their grueling march from Vera Cruz (on the coast) to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan (site of present-day Mexico City), a journey of 400 miles (650 km) over two mountain ranges.

She also witnessed the triumphant entry of the Spanish soldiers into the capital and the dramatic initial encounter between Cortes and the Aztec leader, Montezuma ll. For a period of time she even replaced the “hideous” blood-thirsty idol of Huitzilopochtili, the god of war, which graced the emperor’s private apartment. She was also present when the first Mass was said on Mexican territory by Fr. Bartolome de Olmedo.

During the Noche Triste, the “Sorrowful Night” of July 8, 1520,  she was “implored with tears” as the Spaniards fled from the Aztecs in terror, suffering terrible losses. During the flight, she was hidden underneath the leaves of a maguey plant, and remained lost for 20 years. She was eventually found, in 1540, by a newly converted Indian chief, Juan Cuautli and was venerated for several years in his private chapel.

In 1575 the shrine of Los Remedios was built in Nauacalpan, 8 miles (14 km) northwest of Mexico City. It was built on the site of a destroyed Aztec sacrificial temple, thus sanctifying a place which had been a scene of previous abominations (human sacrifice).

And even in the 1500’s the shrine was well-known and revered! Bernal Diaz, in his acclaimed first-hand account of the struggle for Mexico, The Conquest of New Spain, says about the shrine: “After the great city of Mexico was finally captured we built a church which is called Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios and is now much visited. Many citizens and ladies go there on pilgrimages to make novenas.” Diaz was a young soldier when he fought alongside Cortes in the battle for Mexico. He wrote his book while he was in his senior years.

In the dreadful years of plague which accosted Mexico in the years between 1567 and 1577 the statue of Los Remedios was taken by procession to the cathedral in Mexico City by the same route which the conquistadors had used when they fled from the Aztecs in June, 1520. Through the centuries she was carried in procession to the cathedral on 75 separate occasions in times of urgent need: droughts, epidemics, floods, wars, political crises of all kinds—none of these proved obstacles for Our Lady of the Remedies!

The diminutive statue—she is only 11” tall (28 cm)—arrived in Mexico ten years before the arrival of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She was the first. It was she who paved the way. Now she is the second most revered statue of Our Lady in the country, second only to the highly revered, and beloved Our Lady of Guadalupe.

P.S. Have you ever seen a more endearing image of Our Lady? So youthful and full of sweetness and goodness! The highlight of a visit to Los Remedios is a visit to the marble-walled dressing-room of the Virgin which is situated behind the main altar. After ascending a small staircase, one comes nearly face-to-face with the statue of Los Remedios. Here is an image of Our Lady which has lived through 500 years of Mexican history! And the expression on her lovely face is one which is hard to forget—a moving experience. Beyond words. The photo shown directly below is the actual statue of Our Lady which was brought from Spain over five centuries ago. It is the same statue which presides over the main altar of the church.

Today, Sept. 29, is the feast of the Guardian Angels, Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. And in a few days time, on October 2, we celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels. Thus, it is the perfect time to talk about two miraculous paintings in Mexico which feature angels and—Our Lady!

The most recognized in the country is that of Our Lady of the Most Holy Light in Leon, Guanajuato, which dates back to 1722 in Palermo, Sicily. And associated with this history is the famous date: June 18, 1876. It is a date no one can forget in this bustling city in central Mexico.

On that day, the Cathedral in Leon was packed for the 11 AM Mass. Without warning a tremendous C-R-A-C-K reverberated through the entire church. An enormous block of concrete, “the keystone of the main arch,” fell into the centre aisle of the cathedral. All in the pews gasped in horror feeling that death was staring them in the face. All held their breath—

At this moment in time, the bishop, Bishop Diez de Sollano, strode over to the centre aisle with unfathomable courage and aplomb. He prayed to Our Lady of the Most Holy Light (whose image reposes over the main altar of the cathedral): “O Most Holy Mother of the Light, please spare your people!” And spare her people she did. Not a single person in the church was hurt or injured in any way. They are still talking about it in Leon to this day!

You might well ask: “Who, precisely, is this Most Holy Mother of Light?” She is pictured in the photo below. It is a renowned image of Our Lady and is known throughout the country of Mexico. And she has the most remarkable history—

It all began in Sicily, Italy with Jesuit missionary priest, Father Giovanni Antonio Genovesi, who was born in 1684. He longed to bring people to the faith but he was getting discouraged. So few people were converting! “I need a special image of Our Lady to carry with me!” he thought. “She will bring all to her Son!” “But where to find such an image?”

He then remembered that a holy nun nearby, in the city of Palermo, was having visitations from Our Lady. “I will ask her to ask Our Lady, herself!” he said. The nun agreed that this was an excellent idea and proceeded to ask Our Lady at the time of her next appearance.

Shortly after this request, Our Lady appeared to the nun in a “splendour of light” surrounded by a courtege of angels. In one hand Our Lady was snatching a sinner from the depths of hell and in the other she was holding the Divine Infant. The Infant was blessing human hearts which were in a basket held by an angel.

Our Lady then said: “This is the image that I want painted.” Father Genovesi immediately commissioned the finest artist in the area to carry out Our Lady’s requests. Try as he might, however, the artist was not able to convey the image desired by Our Lady. “No, it is not what I want!” she declared. Our Lady then said to the nun, “I, myself (although unseen) will come to his studio and I will guide his paintbrush. When it is completed all will know by its more than human beauty that a greater and higher art have arranged the composition and laid the colour.” The resultant painting astonished all onlookers by its beauty.

From then on Father Genovesi carried the small painting with him on his missionary journeys and was astonished at the conversions.

In 1732 it was sent to Mexico to the cathedral in Leon, Guanajuato, amid “great rejoicing.” The painting was crowned with the authorization of Pope Leo XIII in 1902. She became the Patrona of the city and of the diocese of Leon when it was established in 1872.

A SECOND famous painting (the main photo of this article) of Our Lady and the angels can be found in the historical centre of Mexico City in the church of Our Lady of the Angels. She too has a remarkable history—

In the year 1580 unprecedented rains flooded the valley of Mexico. Streets became rivers and homes were swept away.” Flotsam, treasures, tree branches and all manner of belongings were swept away in the flood.

One of these treasures was a magnificent painting of Our Lady in which she is surrounded by baby angels. This painting was left exposed to the elements for over 200 years in an adobe chapel whose walls had been washed away by the floods. In 1747 Don Pedro Navaro made an astonishing discovery: He removed the grass mats and boards which had been covering the painting and noticed that the painting was undamaged! “It was radiant with beauty!” In 1776   the miraculous painting was moved to its own Jesuit-run church, Our Lady of the Angels, where she resides above the main altar of the church to this day.

The large canvas painting is over 500 years old and is in pristine condition. “The face and hands have not been re-touched in the slightest.” As one author says, “The visitor to the shrine of Our Lady of the Angels must be convinced that a special Providence watches over the image.”

She is known for her miraculous favours. It has been said of her by a church historian: “To recount the miracles worked through her intercession would require a volume in itself.”

On Oct. 28, 1923, Our Lady of the Angels was pontifically crowned with the authorization of Pope Pius XI.

“Thus crowned, she triumphs forever,” he said.