5 Facts About Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe, largely known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, is a depiction where Mary, the mother of Jesus appeared to Juan Diego four times in the middle of the 16th Century.

The four-times Mary appeared to Juan Diego included her requesting a shrine to be built on a hill in her honor, healing Juan Diego’s uncle, and miraculously causing the appearance of Castilian roses that were rare in Mexico. Here are 5 facts about Our Lady of Guadalupe.

1. Miraculous Roses

Mary the Mother of Jesus during her first apparition showed herself to Juan Diego and requested that a shrine be built in her honor on the spot on which she appeared which was on top of a hill. The Bishop wanted to see a sign as proof before he would build the shrine.

The second time she appeared, she went to Juan Diego to collect roses that were not native to that part of Mexico. The flowers were then put in Juan Diego’s cloak. When he opened his cloak before the bishop the roses fell out revealing the image of Mary imprinted inside.

2. Her eyes were humble and compassionate as she looked down

In the image that appeared in Juan’s cloak, Mary’s eyes showed humanity and indicated that she was compassionate to the suffering of humans and that her motherly gaze filled with love is always upon us.

3. Her hands were joined in prayer

Mary was seen holding her hands, joined together, a symbol that indicated that she was in prayer. As our Mother, she is always interceding for us and giving graces to those who ask for them.

4. She had stars above her head

The stars on the robe are gold indicating royalty. The stars on the robe were exactly as they were in the dawn of December 12, 1531, when she first appeared to Juan Diego. This symbolized that Mary was not just any human being, but a being that came from Heaven.

5. She wears a black maternity band

Mary, who was a virgin, conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. This was shown in the image found on Juan Diego’s cloak, where she wore a maternity band that was a cultural symbol that a woman was with child.

The Power of the Facts about Our Lady of Guadalupe

Even though there are many speculations about the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, she holds a lot of influence across all of Mexico, the American continents, and the world at large. The facts about our Lady of Guadalupe continue to astonish those who hear them and they have been a source of conversion for many.

This story was shared far and wide and many more churches or shrines were built across the world in honor of Mary. Replicas of the image can be found in thousands of churches all over and many churches bear her name. In fact, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has become one of the most recognizable images in the church.