Notes

Hey, it’s Alejandro. I’ve been wondering, what do you think is the most famous picture ever to come out of Mexico? We’ve had many great artists like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, but there is a picture more famous than theirs. For my money it’s got to be the Virgin of Guadalupe. You know, that’s the picture of the dark-skinned Madonna in a dark colored veil with points of light shining all around. Her story goes back to the early 1500s when Spanish friars were beginning to convert the people of Mexico to the Catholic faith. One of the first converts was a man baptized with the name Juan Diego. This Indian peasant was walking over a hill one morning when he had a miraculous vision. The Virgin Mary appeared to him in a cloud of light and instructed him to have a church built on that spot. The awestruck Diego rushed to tell his bishop about his encounter, but, as you can imagine, the old Spaniard was skeptical. Then, several days later, it happened again. This time the Virgin caused roses to grow in this cold, rocky hill. She instructed Diego to fill his cloak with the blossoms and present them to the bishop as a sign. He did as she asked: he returned to the formidable, old bishop, poured the flowers at his feet, and what do you know? There on his cloak was a miraculous picture of a celestial maiden, the Virgin of Guadalupe. Naturally, a church was erected right where the Virgin wanted it and this site has been a focus of religious devotion in Mexico ever since.