Catholic Events

Procession of
the Missionary Image
of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Saturday, June 14, 2003

There hadn't been a procession in Sauk Centre for years: certainly not since my family moved here in 1986. My wife, a Sauk Centre native, tells me that such expressions of faith were more common when she grew up here.

That's why June's arrival of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in this area was special.

The image, a full-size replica of Juan Diego's tilma, was is one of many Missionary Images on tour. The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Vermont-based organization, has been helping carry out the Pope's request for Our Lady of Guadalupe "to 'visit. as a 'pilgrim. each and every diocese, parish and family in America.' "

In June of 2003, it was Sauk Centre's turn. People turned out for a five o'clock mass and a program. Then they gathered outside Our Lady of the Angels Church.

In the early evening, they started the procession, carrying the Missionary Image. Led by Sauk Centre's 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, they walked west a block before turning north.

This took the procession through a residential section of south Sauk Centre. Happily, the weather was fine.

At Sinclair Lewis Avenue, the procession turned west again, which brought them to St. Paul's church.

People had a chance to spend time in St. Paul's with the Missionary Image after that.

I took that opportunity to jot down a description of the image: "This is a digital replica, exact in size and color, of the original Miraculous Image that Our Lady left on St. Juan Diego's tilma in 1531. It is certified by Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop of Mexico. Monsignor Diego Monroy. Vicar General and Rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, blessed this Missionary Image and prayed for the success of Our Lady's mission to bring a culture of life, sanctity of the family, solidarity of the Church in America, and a civilization of love. Pope John Paul II said, 'I feel drawn to the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe because her face is full of kindness and simplicity ... it calls me.. She calls you, too.' "

About Our Lady of Guadalupe

Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe has been around for quite a while. It started in 1531, in Mexico. Bishop Zumarraga had seen that a revolt was likely, and prayed for Our Lady to intervene. Between the local folks, who had been practicing human sacrifice, and the Spanish conquerors, who were now making their lives miserable, it looked like a miracle was needed.

On December 9 of that year, Juan Diego, a recent convert, saw Our Lady. She told him that she wanted a church for her built on the barren hill of Tepeyac, and that he should ask the bishop to start building it. After Juan Diego made the request, the bishop, reasonably, wanted some sort of sign that Juan Diego wasn't making this up. He told Juan Diego to ask Our Lady for a sign.

On December 12, Bishop Zumarraga got his sign. Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill.

Roses appeared, miraculously. She told him to pick the roses and bring them to the Bishop. This would be the sign for him to believe that her request was genuine.

Juan gathered the roses, carrying them in his tilma, a garment similar to a poncho. When he came to the bishop, he let go of the tilma and Mary's out-of-season roses spilled out. The Bishop and other witnesses also saw a picture of Our Lady on the cactus-cloth tilma.

Our Lady's church was built on Tepeyac Hill, as specified.

Juan Diego became Saint Juan Diego.

Nine million local folks gave up their old beliefs and the practice of human sacrifice, converted and were baptized in the nine years after Our Lady appeared.

The tilma, which should have rotted away in less than a person's lifetime, didn't. It is now in her church there in Mexico. The picture on St. Juan Diego's tilma isn't a painting. Scientific investigation has shown that there are no brush strokes, and that there is no undersizing or pigment on the garment. In 1921, someone set off a bomb right under it. The tilma wasn't hurt.

In 1999, Pope John Paul II came to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He declared Our Lady of Guadalupe as Queen and Mother of America, and made December 12 a feast day throughout the American continent.

Pope John Paul II has proclaimed Our Lady of Guadalupe as the Mother of all America, and these visitations are part of a program to give actions to the Pope's direction, "to lead the people of God in America to cross the threshold of the third millennium with renewed hope."

When he looked at the image of Our lady of Guadalupe, the Pope said, "Our Lady is brilliantly seen in the mestizo countenance of this Image of Mary of Guadalupe who appeared at the beginning of the evangelization of the Americas. ... I ask her to 'visit. as a 'pilgrim of faith - each and every diocese, parish and family in America, repeating to her children what she said at Cana, 'Do whatever He tells you. (Jn 2:5).

Quotes and facts were taken from literature provided by the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe (144 Sheldon Road, St. Albans, Vermont 05478), and from their website at www.JKMI.com.

Additional information about Our Lady of Guadalupe is online at Our Lady Of Guadalupe Patroness of the Americas, www.sancta.org.

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The Missionary Image's procession In Sauk Centre

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