The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Dec. 12 – is an important day among Hispanic Catholics. In Mexico, major celebrations take place in honor of the Blessed Mother who appeared to Juan Diego, a peasant, in a series of apparitions in December 1531 in what is now a suburb of Mexico City.
During the appearances, the Blessed Virgin spoke to Juan Diego in his native language, identified herself as the Virgin Mary and asked for a church to be built on the site in her honor. The bishop was skeptical and asked Juan Diego for a miraculous sign to affirm the Blessed Virgin’s identity. She instructed Juan Diego to gather flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill, where he had seen her apparitions. He followed her instructions, finding a type of roses not native to Mexico blooming in the cold. She arranged the flowers in his tilma or cloak and when he opened his cloak before the bishop, the flowers fell to the floor and the Blessed Mother’s image was on the tilma.
The bishop kept the tilma in his private chapel. Later, it was taken to a small chapel erected on the hill. Over the years, larger churches were built with the current shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe the most-visited Catholic pilgrimage destination in the world. In non-pandemic times, millions of pilgrims visit the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City to commemorate the anniversary of the apparitions.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of the America and of Mexico.
Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, archbishop and primate of Mexico, wrote to Pope Francis last week on behalf of all people who have a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, explaining that because of the pandemic, many of those who would normally travel to her shrine in Mexico City cannot do so this year. He also feared that despite the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19, he expected millions of faithful would try to come to Tepeyac Hill and other shrines seeking consolation from the Blessed Mother.
The cardinal said these concerns prompted the closing of the National Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Dec. 10-13. The faith are being encouraged to celebrate the feast at home through mass media.
“Considering the serious consequences, a pilgrimage could have due to the
pandemic, I asked His Holiness for the grace to grant a plenary indulgence to the faithful who celebrate this important solemnity at their homes, which will encourage us to stay home and avoid crowds in the Basilica of Guadalupe or any other Guadalupe pilgrimage site,” the cardinal said.
He announced on Dec. 6 from the main altar of the Basilica of Guadalupe that the pope had approved the request.
“It fills me with great joy to be able to communicate to you that this plenary indulgence will be granted on Dec. 11-12 under the following conditions:
- Prepare an altar or place of prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe in your home.
- Participate through the media at one of the masses offered at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City (midnight or noon on Dec. 12) actively participating in the Holy Eucharist as you would in person, that is, with devotion and with exclusive attention to the Eucharist. Access the masses at youtube.com/user/BasilicadeGuadalupe.
- And comply with the usual conditions to benefit from indulgences: pray for the intentions of the Holy Father; be in a state of grace after having confessed; attend full Mass and receive Communion. The last three conditions can be fulfilled when public health guidance allow.
“I wish that all our pilgrim people, who from the bottom of their wounded hearts seek the comfort, protection and tenderness from Our Blessed Mother, take advantage of this grace Pope Francis has granted us and that is extended to the faithful departed.
Rather than going to her house, let Our Lady visit us in our homes this year. Let us open our doors to her and lift our hearts to her so that she may bless us and cover us with her mantle,” the cardinal added. “We are not alone; she walks with us; she is our mother.”