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Our Lady of Guadalupe: the Virgin Morena, or la Reina de Mexico

December 12 is one of the most important dates in the Mexican calendar: the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint. Thousands of faithful make the pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, which houses the cloak of the “Virgen Morena,” the “Dark Virgin.” Festivals are held all around the country in her honor, and she is thought of as the Mother of all Mexicans. She is also referred to as “La Reina,” or “The Queen” of Mexico. Processions, prayers, songs, dances, and fireworks are held in the name of a figure that fuses both European Christian traditions and the beliefs of native the Mexicas people.

Catholic and Aztec Origins
The first Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in Mexico in 1523, two years after the Aztec capital of Tenochitlan fell to Hernán Cortés and his Conquistadors. The Franciscan Brothers studied indigenous language, history, customs and religious practices of the native Mexicas. One of their first converts was a man baptized with the Christian name Juan Diego. On the morning of December 9, 1531, Juan Diego was crossing a hill called Tepeyac on his way to Mass when he saw an astounding vision—a beautiful dark-skinned woman who declared herself to be the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Speakin in the native language Nahuatl, she told Juan Diego that a church should be built in her name on Tepeyac hill, and asked him to relay that message to the Bishop, Juan de Zumarraga.The Bishop finally granted an audience to the humble Juan Diego, but demanded some proof of the unlikely encounter. A few days later, on December 12, the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego again in the same place, and he told her of the Bishop’s request. The Virgin told Juan to pick roses on the hill – a place that was typically barren and dry, and to deliver them to the Bishop. Juan Diego gathered up the miraculous blossoms in his mantle and hurried off to the Bishop. There, he opened his cloaks to let the roses spill out. To the wonder of all assembled, a perfect image of La Virgen Morena (the Dark Virgin) was revealed emblazoned on Juan Diego’s cloak.

By order of the Bishop, a small church was soon constructed on the site designated by the Virgin; the site now houses an enormous modern Basilica, dedicated in October of 1976. The Miracle of Guadalupe was officially recognized by the Vatican in 1745.

Interestingly, Tepeyac, the site of the apparition, was also the site of an Aztec temple dedicated to Tonatzin, the earth godess, mother of the gods and protectress of humanity, which had earlier been destroyed by order of Bishop Zumarraga.

Our Lady of la Guadalupe has become a widely revered symbol of Mexican national pride. Her image was carried by the Hidalgo’s troops during his struggle for Mexican independence. Morelos, who took over leadership of the revolution from Hidalgo, who inscribed the Virgin’s feast day into the Chilpancingo constitution.

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