La Basillica de La Virgen de Guadalupe

Our last stop of the day was La Basillica de La Virgen de Guadalupe. It was very beautiful and an incredible experience to be at a place that has so much religious importance. For those of you who don't know the story. On December 9, 1521 a man named Juan Diego was crossing the mountains to visit his sick uncle. On his way the Virgen Mary appeared to him and told him to go and tell the Bishop to build a church where he appeared to her. He did as he was told and the Bishop just laughed in his face. The same thing happened for the next two days. On the fourth day, Juan Diego really needed to go see his sick uncle so he went the long way hoping that she wouldn't appear to him. Wrong. She appeared to him and he told her that no one believed him and that he really needed to see his uncle because he was dying. She told him not to worry about his uncle and to go over to the rose bushes and pick some flowers, put them in his tilma and take them to the bishop. The thing is that the flowers she asked him to pick don't bloom in the season. He picked the flowers put them in his tilma and went to the bishop. When he opened his Tilma out fell roses and there was an impression of her image on the tilma. The Bishop finally believed him and built the church.

The new Basillica (built in the 1970's).

A Statue of Juan Diego showing the Bishop his tilma.

Another statue in honor.

Ana, me and Kate

The old Basillica.

The view looking down from the old basillica to the new one.

The inside of the old basillica.

The inside of the New Basillica.

The originial Tilma.

Kate and I posing in front of one of the many replicas.

A statue of Pope John Paul II and the popemobile that he used when he came to Mexico City.

Side view.