...continued from The Empress of the USA : Part III
Six years later, or so the story goes, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill, just north of today's Mexico City.
Juan Diego* was requested by Mary to go to the Bishop, Father Juan de Zumarraga, and ask that a church be built on Teyepac in her honour. Father de Zumarraga dismissed Diego's account, of course. Then Mary appeared a second time to Juan and repeated her request. The Indian again approached the Bishop and, this time, Zumarraga sent Diego away and demanded that he bring back proof of his story.
Proof was obligingly provided. Mary appeared a third time to Diego and told him to go right to the top of the hill and pick for the Bishop some Castilian roses, native to the Bishop's homeland, which he would find growing in the middle of winter. Of course, that is the nature of a miracle so Juan filled his cloak [tilma] full of these roses. On presenting the cloak full of roses to the Bishop, both men were amazed to see a painted image of an indigenous Virgin Mary miraculously appear on the tilma.
The supposedly indestructible image on the tilma has been preserved all these centuries and now is enshrined in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Or so the story goes.
When the Aztecs discovered that this dark-skinned Virgin had not only appeared on Teyepac where they worshipped their own mother goddess Tonantzin, but that she had also spoken to Juan Diego in their native tongue Náhuatl, their conversion to Catholicism was assured.
to be continued...
*Juan Diego was made a saint by Pope John Paul II in the Basilica of Guadalupe in July of 2002.
Where Castilian Roses Bloom
In 1525, an Aztec Indian named Quauhtlatoatzin was baptised by the Franciscan friars who were invited to Mexico on the very heels of the Conquest by Cortés himself. The Indian received the new name of Juan Diego.Six years later, or so the story goes, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill, just north of today's Mexico City.
Juan Diego* was requested by Mary to go to the Bishop, Father Juan de Zumarraga, and ask that a church be built on Teyepac in her honour. Father de Zumarraga dismissed Diego's account, of course. Then Mary appeared a second time to Juan and repeated her request. The Indian again approached the Bishop and, this time, Zumarraga sent Diego away and demanded that he bring back proof of his story.
Proof was obligingly provided. Mary appeared a third time to Diego and told him to go right to the top of the hill and pick for the Bishop some Castilian roses, native to the Bishop's homeland, which he would find growing in the middle of winter. Of course, that is the nature of a miracle so Juan filled his cloak [tilma] full of these roses. On presenting the cloak full of roses to the Bishop, both men were amazed to see a painted image of an indigenous Virgin Mary miraculously appear on the tilma.
The Castilian rose, brought from Spain and associated with Our Lady of Guadalupe
The supposedly indestructible image on the tilma has been preserved all these centuries and now is enshrined in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Or so the story goes.
When the Aztecs discovered that this dark-skinned Virgin had not only appeared on Teyepac where they worshipped their own mother goddess Tonantzin, but that she had also spoken to Juan Diego in their native tongue Náhuatl, their conversion to Catholicism was assured.
to be continued...
*Juan Diego was made a saint by Pope John Paul II in the Basilica of Guadalupe in July of 2002.
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