I?n 1531, the Blessed Virgin appeared before an old Aztec Indian named Juan Diego. Dressed in resplendent gowns of bright colors and gold accents, she explained to Juan Diego that she was the Mother of God. She told him to go to the Bishop of Mexico and say she wanted a church built on the place she was standing. This way, she could hear the prayers and the petitions of the devoted and intercede on their behalf.

Juan Diego obeyed, but every time he went to see the Bishop, the Bishop dismissed him. He had no proof, and no one wanted to believe a poor old man. Defeated and downhearted, he tried to avoid Our Lady, but still she found him. She asked again for him to see the Bishop.

Although Juan Diego had given up, Our Lady still had faith in him. She instructed him to climb to the top of a nearby hill and collect as many flowers as he could hold. The area was rocky, and a December freeze had withered the flowers, so Juan Diego expected to find nothing. Instead, he was greeted by an abundance of Rosas de Castilla — every color, shape, and style all in bloom. Juan Diego filled his tilma with the flowers, and returned to Our Lady. She rearranged them, told him to keep them hidden within his tilma, and sent him back to the Bishop.

When Juan Diego returned to the Bishop, he opened his tilma, and a flood of fresh flowers flowed from his clothing. Juan Diego watched in amazement as the Bishop and his advisors gasped at the sight.

Immediately, everyone knelt before Juan Diego. Then, the Bishop pointed to the rough cactus cloth Juan Diego was wearing. Imprinted on the tilma was a portrait of Our Lady, exactly as Juan Diego had seen her.

The Bishop immediately began building the Church in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. To this day, Juan Diego’s tilma remains unfaded, the bright colors and gold tones still shining as brightly as they did in 1531.

Today, millions of people travel to Mexico City each year to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. Now, pilgrims may also travel to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, where a new devotional site, “Our Lady of Guadalupe Hill,” was recently dedicated. Built as a replica of the Shrine in Mexico City, Guadalupe Hill honors both Our Lady and the Hispanic population who are active members of the Church.

The Shrine held a bilingual Mass and dedication for Guadalupe Hill on September 3, 2005. Bishop Michael Pfeifer, O.M.I., of San Angelo, Texas, explained to the large, diverse crowd the significance of Our Lady’s appearance to Juan Diego:

“It is quite a privilege to know that when Mary made her first appearance on Earth, she chose the North American Continent. She appeared just as the New World was beginning. The Spaniards were dictators and forced Christianity on the native people. But when St. Juan Diego saw her, she appeared as one of them, ‘the Dark Virgin.’ Instead of forcing Christianity on them, she offered love to those who were hurting and lost. She is our Mother, and we turn to her the same way those native people did many years ago.”

St. Juan Diego once said, “I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf.” He thought he was not worthy to be Our Lady’s messenger. Our Lady taught him and teaches us that when we have faith, anything is possible, and she is with us to intercede on our behalf.