The four apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe took place in December 1531, when Juan Diego, an indigenous convert to the Catholic faith, encountered a woman dressed as an Aztec princess on Tepeyac Hill in present-day Mexico City. The woman, who was pregnant, spoke to him in his native language. She identified herself as the Mother of God.

Over the next four apparitions, Our Lady requested that Juan Diego implore the local bishop to build a church on the hill, and performed miracles to prove her identity. Through one of the miracles, she imprinted her image onto Juan Diego’s tilma, or cloak; the tilma bearing that image can still be viewed today at the basilica which now stands on the site of the apparition.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is venerated as the Patroness of the Americas, and she is beloved worldwide as a symbol of motherhood, faith and identity. Her feast day is Dec. 12.

©LPi