Queen of the Americas
It is not easy to find a more visited place on earth. Nearly 15 million people come here every year. And so it has been for nearly 500 years. This is a special, unique place. The Mother of God liked it. They call her Mary of Guadeloupe. Madonna with a mestizo face has permanently entered the history and culture of the country. They say that Guadeloupe is the soul of Mexico.
The apparitions in Guadeloupe are credited with the largest mass conversion in the history of Christianity. According to sixteenth-century chroniclers, in a short time of exploration of the continent by newcomers from Europe and the parallel action of the first missionaries, 9 million Aztecs were baptized, initially reluctant, even hostile to newcomers from the Old Continent and their religion. "The message of Christ, through his Mother, took over the main elements of indigenous culture, purified them and gave them a final, salvific meaning," John Paul II said during his last pilgrimage to Mexico.
The apparitions was receive by the pious Indian Juan Diego. Juan Diego was a simple Native American. He was born in 1474. When he was 50 years old, he was baptized by one of the first missionaries in the area. He died in 1548. Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego for the first time on December 9, 1531 on the hill of Tepeyac. She spoke of her love for Mexicans and asked for a church to be built at the site of the apparitions.
Two years after the apparitions, the first sanctuary was built in the place of the revelation. The church authorities took up the matter almost immediately and already in 1555 the Archbishop Alonso de Montúfara declared the apparitions credible. The Blessed Virgin Mary from the new continent made a great impression. 15 years later the copy of the image reached Europe, and during the battle with the Ottoman armada at Lepanto, it was imprinted in the memory of Europeans forever. Military commanders attributed the victory to Our Lady from distant America. Her image was on one of the ships. Mary's fame was spreading. First, in 1737, she was proclaimed patroness of Mexico, nine years later her kingdom extended to the whole of New Spain. In 1754 the Holy Father Benedict XIV set her feast day for December 12. At the end of the nineteenth century, the image was crowned with papal crowns. The cult continued to develop and was supported by subsequent Successors of St. Peter.
Pius X proclaimed Mary of Guadeloupe patroness of Latin America. Pius XI extended his patronage to the Philippines in 1935. 11 years later, Our Lady was proclaimed the patroness of the Americas. It was done by Pope Pius XII. In 1966, the Golden Rose was given to Our Lady by Paul VI. John Paul has close ties with the Patroness of the Americas.
On May 3, 1953, Cardinal Miranda y Gomez, the Primate of Mexico, at the request of the Polish Episcopate, entrusted Poland to the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe. To this day, a copy of the image from the Mexican sanctuary has been found in over a hundred churches in Poland. Poles venerate the Madonna of Guadalupe as the Patroness of conceived life, because she is depicted in the painting in a blessed state
The first apostolic journey of Saint John Paul II led him to Mexico and the obligatory visit to the Guadeloupean Sanctuary. In addition, he dedicated one of the chapels in St. Peter's Basilica to Our Lady of Guadeloupe and canonized Juan Diego. "Beloved Juan Diego, John Paul II said at the time, the Eagle who speak! Show us the path that leads us to the Virgin, the Black Madonna of Tepeyac, to welcome us into the depths of her heart, for she is the loving and compassionate Mother who leads us to the true God."
Until Tomorrow
fr. george