

Written by Benoît Santos - Updated on Oct 26, 2024
Do you want to know the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe? Do you want to have information about its origin? Do you want to know its role in the history of Mexico?
As you are passionate about this topic, so are we. So, we have gathered the information for you in this article.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the symbol of the Virgin Mary that appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico. Since then a basilica has been built to venerate her. But behind this holy name and the building hides a story of an entire people.
In this article you will read and learn:
- The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe ;
- Where it comes from;
- And its role in Mexican history.
If you enjoyed this Christian article and would like to learn more about the history of Notre Dame, here are several articles that might interest you:
- The History of Our Lady of Lourdes
- The story of Our Lady of Fatima
- The history of Our Lady of the Guard
And here are several articles of prayers to the Virgin Mary that you can discover on our site:
- Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
- Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima
- Prayer to Mary
- Prayer to the Immaculate Conception
- Prayer to the Miraculous Medal
- Hail Mary: Prayer
Without further ado, let’s start reading the article!
Definition and Nature of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Spanish Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is a Marian invocation of the Catholic religion. Her image is venerated in the Basilica of Guadalupe located in northern Mexico. However, it represents the second most visited Catholic basilica in the world behind St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
She is also called the Virgin of Guadalupe in Roman Catholicism . The name also refers to the Marian apparition itself. She holds a special place in the religious life of Mexico and is one of the most popular religious devotions.
The role of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexican history is not limited to religious actions. She has played an important role in Mexican nationalism and identity. Her image has played an important role as a national symbol of Mexico. Learn about the history of this invocation and its role in Mexican history.
Origin of the word "Guadalupe"
The name Guadalupe comes from the Guadalupejo River . This name comes from the union of the Arabic word "guada" which means river, and the Latin constriction "lux-speculum" which means, luminous mirror. According to the Nican Mopohua (Book of the narration of the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe to Juan Diego), the Virgin would have revealed the name "Guadalupe" to Bernardino (Juan Diego's uncle) when he was seriously ill.
Skeptical critics believe that it is impossible for the Virgin to communicate with the old man. This is because Juan Bernardino did not understand the Spanish language brought by the Spaniards to the New World. Therefore, the dialogue had to be developed in the mother tongue, which was Nahuatl (a living language spoken by more than 2.5 million people), in which there are no consonants g or d.
The apparitions of the Virgin to the Mexican Juan Diego
According to the tradition of the Catholic Church, the Holy Mary appeared to Juan Diego, who was an Aztec converted to Christianity. She appeared to him 4 times in total. Let's see them in more detail.
First appearance.
On Saturday, December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, left very early in the morning from Mexico City, the city where he resided. His goal was to give catechism classes and attend mass. It was dawn when he arrived next to the hill called Tepeyacac . He heard singing at the top of the hill. It sounded like the singing of various birds. The melody had a sinusoidal rhythm. Suddenly, the singing stopped and there was silence, and Juanito heard a voice calling his name.
He dared to go where he was called. He was not frightened at all. On the contrary, very happy , he went up the hill to see where the voice was coming from. When he reached the top, he saw a lady of superhuman beauty, whose dress was as bright as the sun. She spoke with very kind and attentive words. She said to him: "Juanito, the smallest of my children, I am still the Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, through whom one lives. I ardently desire that a temple be built for me here."
She added: "I will be able to show and lavish all my love, and my compassion , to help and defend all the inhabitants of this land. Also, to all those who invoke me and who trust me to hear their lamentations. And to remedy all their miseries and pains. Go to the bishop and tell him that I want a temple in this plain." At these words, Juan Diego answered the lady with humility that he will do the job. He went down to go and give the message to the bishop.
Second appearance.
Juan Diego went straight to the bishop . His name was Fray Juan de Zumárraga, a religious of San Francisco. As soon as he arrived, he asked to see him. He asked his subordinates to come and announce him. After a while, they came to call him, the bishop had ordered him to enter.
Once inside, he immediately told him the message of the Lady of Heaven . The bishop, after hearing his speech, did not seem to believe him. He asked him to bring evidence that could confirm his story. Juan Diego became sad, left because his message was not carried out.
That same day, he returned to the hill and told Mary about his meeting with the bishop. Mary told him to return the next day to see the bishop to specify his wishes. Juanito, a little perplexed, nevertheless agreed to fulfill the mission entrusted to him. He promised her to return the next afternoon to report to her.
Third appearance.
The next day, Sunday morning, almost at ten o'clock after Mass, Juan Diego went immediately to the bishop. As soon as he arrived, he did everything possible to see him. He was saddened and cried when he presented the request of the Lady of Heaven. The bishop, to be sure, asked him some questions like where he had seen her, what she was like, etc. He reported everything perfectly to the bishop. Still skeptical, the bishop replied that he would have to see a sign to believe it.
The bishop immediately sent people he could trust to spy on him. Juan Diego came straight to the place where he met the Virgin Mary. The people who were following him lost him near the Tepeyacac bridge. They searched everywhere, but they did not see him anywhere. So they returned, since their attempt was hindered. Once at the bishop's house, the spies told him that Juan Diego was lying.
So they reported that he had invented everything he had come to tell her, or that he had only dreamed of what he had said. In short, they argued that if he returned, they should catch him and punish him harshly, so that he would confess the truth . Meanwhile, Juan Diego was with the Blessed Virgin, reporting to her the bishop's answer. The virgin told him that he should return the next day so that he could bring the bishop the sign he had asked for.
Fourth appearance.
The next day, Monday, Juan Diego did not return. Because when he returned home the day before, his uncle, Juan Bernardino, had become seriously ill. He first went to call a doctor. However, his uncle was in a critical case. At night, his uncle feeling his death approaching, asked Juan to go to Tlatilolco to call a priest so he could confess. On Tuesday, very early in the morning, Juan Diego came from his house in Tlatilolco (Variant of Tlatelolco) to call the priest.
On the way back, having arrived at the place where he was to meet the Lady, he preferred to take another path. Suddenly, Maria came to meet him and asked him where he was going. Embarrassed, Juan explained what was happening. The Virgin told him not to worry, that his uncle would not die and that he was already in good health. Without delay, he asked for the signal that he should take to the bishop. She told him to go up to the top of the hill where he would find fresh Castilian roses.
He had to cut as many as he could and take them to the bishop. Once in front of Monsignor Zumarraga, Juan Diego unfolded his blanket. About ten roses fell to the ground and the tilma was painted with what is now known as the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Seeing this, the bishop took the holy image to the Great Church and built a hermitage in the place indicated by Juan Diego.
Role of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexican History
The role of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexican history is not limited to religion . She has played an important role in Mexican nationalism and identity. In 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla promoted her as the patron saint of the revolt he led against the Spanish. The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared on the banners of the rebels, and the rebels' battle cry was "Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe."
Preachers said that the founding of Mexico could be dated to the time of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This happened during a religious revival in Mexico in the late 19th century. She freed the people from idolatry and reconciled the Spanish and indigenous peoples in common devotion.
Emiliano Zapata's peasant rebels carried the banner of Our Lady as they entered Mexico City in 1914. During the Mexican Civil War (1926-1929), rebel banners bore her image. Her importance as a religious and national symbol is attested by the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who visit her shrine each year.
Cult of the Virgin of Tepeyacac.
The First Mexican Council, held in Mexico City from June 29 to November 7, 1555, contributed decisively to the strengthening of the cult of the Virgin of Tepeyacac. It was organized by Archbishop Alonso de Montúfar. Also, it brought together numerous representatives of the monastic orders of New Spain. However, among them there is Franciscan Pedro de Gante, bishops Martín Sarmiento de Hojacastro (Tlaxcala) and Tomas de Castillas (Chiapas). In addition, the first council of the new Spanish church decided to regulate the manufacture of religious images. The particularity goes to those made by indigenous peoples. It was also decided to favor the cult of the patron saints of each city and all Marian invocations.
Since the arrival of the Franciscans in Mexico, indigenous peoples have been trained in painting and have been allowed to produce religious images. Montúfar attacked the work of the Franciscan missionaries represented by Pedro de Gante. He claimed to speak in favor of ending the "abuse of paintings produced" by indigenous peoples who "do not know how to paint." The disagreements between the Archbishop of Mexico and the Franciscans over the cult of the Virgin of Tepeyac were not without reason. It was a reflection of the confrontation over the production of religious images and their role in the Christianization of indigenous peoples.
Divergence over the veneration of images of Maria.
On September 6, 1556, Montúfar delivered a homily in which he declared himself in favor of promoting the cult of Guadalupana among the indigenous peoples. On September 8 of the same year, the archbishop received an extremely critical response from the Franciscans of Francisco de Bustamante. The work of the Franciscan Order in the Christianization of America had been impregnated by Erasmian philosophy. He rejected the veneration of images, so that when Montúfar was in favor of spreading the cult of the image of Tepeyac.
What he got in response was the following statement from Bustamante: The dispute between the Franciscans and the Archbishopric of Mexico has been resolved in favor of the latter. For this, Montúfar and his followers had to moderate their discourse on the nature of the cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe. His discourses apparently came close to the precepts defended by the Franciscans. The official promotion of the cult of Guadalupe by the New Hispanic Church is part of a broader process.
In the latter, the humanist perspective of the Franciscans and their missionary work was replaced by the precepts officially adopted by the resolutions of the Council of Trent. According to these, the Church should promote and preserve the cult of images of Christ, the Virgin and all the saints. This, in a clear reaction against the Protestant iconoclasm that was flourishing in northern Europe.
Confusion over the Guadalupe Shrine
Pragmatically, the Archdiocese of Mexico ignored the warnings issued by the Franciscans about the confusion that the cult of the image of Tepeyac could generate. This among the newly Christianized indigenous peoples of central Mexico. Francisco de Bustamante's voice would later be joined by other missionaries.
Among the latter is Bernardino de Sahagun, who in his General History of Things in New Spain published in 1576 wrote that, in fact, near the mountains, there are three or four places where they (the natives) made very solemn sacrifices . One of them is here in Mexico, where there is a hill called Tepeacac.
The Spanish called it Tepeaquilla and now it is called Our Lady of Guadalupe. In this place they had a temple dedicated to the mother of the gods whom they called Tonantzin, which means Our Mother. There they made many sacrifices to honor this goddess. Now that the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe is built there, they also call it Tonantzin.
The attributes of Saint Mary of Guadalupe.
Pope Pius X proclaimed her: "Patroness of all Latin America". Pope Pius XI proclaimed her "Patroness of all the Americas". Pope Pius XII called her: "Empress of the Americas" and John XXIII called her: "The heavenly missionary of the new world".
And "the Mother of the Americas." The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is venerated in Mexico with great devotion. The miracles obtained by those who pray to the Virgin of Guadalupe are extraordinary.
Reveal your attachment to Our Lady of Guadalupe through our articles
Now you know the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe , its origin and its role in the history of Mexico. So, you know what to do when you find yourself in a conversation around the topic.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our fabulous article on the history of Our Lady of Fatima .
2 comments
Merci beaucoup pour l’histoire. Juste une petite correction, ce n’est pas pour « l’adorer » mais pour « la vénérer. » Dans l’Eglise Catholique, on adore seulement Dieu et on vénère les saints, y compris notre Vierge Marie.
To write a comment
Benoît
Mar 5, 2024Bonjour Laurenceau,
Merci pour cette rectification. Nous avons pu corriger le texte. Soyez bénis 🙏