Mexican and Mexican-Americans Celebrating The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Hispanically Speaking News
go to original December 12, 2012

Millions of pilgrims descend in Mexico City every year to visit the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Some spend days walking from their home towns across Mexico to make the Catholic pilgrimage. Al Jazeera's Rachel Levin reports. (AlJazeeraEnglish)

Today is the feast of the Patroness for millions of Mexican and Mexican-Americans, Our Lady of Guadalupe, who appeared to the humble St. Juan Diego in 1531 on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City.

She is one of the most iconic religious symbols in the world and the most famous in Mexico.  She is known also as the “Queen of Mexico” or the “Empress of the Americas”.

In Mexico over tens of thousands of the faithful gather at the Shrine of Mexico City for the celebration of the 481st anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady of Tepeyac (“La Morenita”).  Some of the faithful arrive on their knees as a sign of their devotion and adoration of the Virgen.

The following prayer was composed for the Special Assembly for America of the Synod Of Bishops fifteen years ago today:

Almighty God and Father,
who in Your infinite mercy
willed to give us Your Son Jesus Christ
as the one and only way to salvation,
we ask You to hear the prayer which Your Church,
in pilgrimage in America,
makes to You on the occasion of
the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
Send forth Your Holy Spirit,
to enlighten the path
which the New People of God wish to follow,
under the guidance of their Pastors
and in communion with the Vicar of Christ,
so as to cross the threshold of the Third Millennium
with a renewed heart.
Holy Mary of Guadalupe,
Patroness of all America
and Star of the first and the new evangelization,
to Your maternal care we commend
the work and fruits of the
Synodal Assembly for America.
Show us Your Son Jesus Christ,
the way to conversion, communion and solidarity
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

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