Our Lady Of Guadalupe -- The Woman Of Life

Elena Rubio, a teacher in Brooklyn, New York, was five years old when she first heard the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“It was on a family trip to Mexico,” she recalled. “Back then, I couldn’t figure out whether the Virgin Mary and this lady were the same person. Then my mom told me that Our Lady of Guadalupe had appeared in Mexico, and I was totally intrigued. I was fascinated, because it seemed to be a real thing, something with proof left behind.”

For Rubio and millions of other Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, December 12th holds special significance. It marks the date in 1531 when the Virgin Mary appeared to an indigenous Mexican, in the last of several apparitions.

To the present day, Our Lady of Guadalupe remains a powerful symbol of Mexican identity and faith, and her image is associated with everything from motherhood to feminism to social justice.

Across the U.S., many of the faithful will be attending mass; in some communities like Des Plaines, Illlinois the mass is preceded by a pilgrimage to a venerated shrine for the beloved virgin.

Rubio is continuing the religious tradition, telling her own young children about Our Lady of Guadalupe. “It’s interesting how, in our culture, she is still so prevalent and recognizable. She is still revered, like the ultimate symbol of goodness.” Rubio revealed to NBC News that in her home, she has Our Lady of Guadalupe artwork, icons, and even a small nightlight bearing her image. “I guess she’s watching over us,” Rubio laughed.

According to lore, it was a winter’s day in 1531 when the Virgin Mary first appeared to Juan Diego, a peasant, as he was crossing a hillside near present-day Mexico City. She appeared as a dark-skinned woman who spoke Nahuatl, Juan Diego’s native language. This woman asked Juan Diego to build her a little house, a casita, on the hill. Twice Juan Diego reported this to his local bishop, who didn’t believe him. The second time, the bishop asked for proof of the apparitions.

Early on the morning of December 12th, the lady appeared again to Juan Diego and told him to gather some flowers at the top of the hill – a strange request because flowers were not in season in December. Juan Diego did as he was instructed, and found an array of Castilian roses. The lady helped him arrange them in his tilma (cloak), and he returned to the bishop with them as evidence. As Juan Diego presented the tilma to the bishop, the flowers tumbled out and the two men discovered a life-size image of the Virgin Mary on the inside of the cloak. This image is known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.

To Jeanette Rodriguez, author of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Faith and Empowerment Among Mexican-American Women, there are aspects of this story that make it unique. She finds it significant that the apparition chose to appear to a peasant.

“That makes sense, because God always chooses the people the world rejects,” she said. “The Lady of Guadalupe also offered a different brand of faith. She didn’t say, go to church or say the rosary. She said ‘If you love me, trust me and believe in me, I will respond.’”

The historical context of this story is important, according to Rodriguez, a professor at Seattle University. The apparitions were seen only ten years after the conquest of central Mexico by the Spanish, at a time when the indigenous people of the Americas were devastated.

The notion of a brown-skinned Mary figure was critical to the eventual conversion of millions of indigenous people to Roman Catholicism.

“When indigenous people saw Guadalupe’s image on the cloak, they could recognize the symbols surrounding her; the sun, the stars, the southern cross, and the placement of her hands indicating a gesture of offering,” Rodriguez said.

The sash around Our Lady of Guadalupe’s waist, Rodriguez explained, indicates that she is with child – one of the rare depictions of the mother of God as pregnant.

Today the Basilica of Guadalupe stands on the site where Our Lady of Guadalupe is said to have appeared to Juan Diego. It is one of the top attractions in Mexico, drawing millions of tourists and pilgrims every year. The cloak bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on display, its colors seemingly not faded after hundreds of years.

December 12th became a national holiday in Mexico in 1859. 

Pope Pius XXII crowned Our Lady of Guadalupe “Empress of the Americas” in 1945, and she has long been recognized as the patron saint of Mexico.