LA MORENITA

Br. Mickey Mc Grath- OSFS

The feast in honor of OUR LADY of GUADALUPE, December 12, goes back to the 16th century. Chronicles of that period tell us the story.

A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady.

New Mexico

He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The Lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the Lady appeared.

New Mexico

Eventually the bishop told Juan Diego to have the Lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Diego to try to avoid the Lady. The Lady found Diego, nevertheless, assured him that his uncle would recover and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma.

Hubbard Museum- Ruidoso, NM

When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of the Blessed Mother exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is affectionately known as La Morenita, ‘the little dark one’, and she is revered by millions of Catholics in Mexico and in our own country.  These days, Juan’s tilma with the image on it hangs in the basilica built on the spot, as ordered by the convinced Bishop de Zumárraga. The image of the Virgen de Guadalupe remains clearly imprinted on the miraculous cloak without visible signs of deterioration.

Renee Ekleberry-Nevada

In 1999, Bl. John Paul II affirmed Our Lady of Guadalupe as the "Patroness of the Americas" and her feast became a solemnity for Catholics throughout the Western Hemisphere.


We are all familiar with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but in this blog I present some other less familiar  images, mostly modern. Blessed Feast!

Stephen Whatley- British

Rain Ririn- California

My Friend- Br. Arturo Olivos-SFO-NM

Another by Br. Arturo

Jan Oliver- Colorado

Dan Paulos- New Mexico

Gerardo Thijssen-Mexico