THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE: A MEXICAN NATIONAL SYMBOL BY:ERIC R. Wolf

The Virgin of Guadalupe: Background

By 

Douglas Caballero 

The Virgin of Guadalupe: Origin

The Virgin of Guadalupe also known as Virgin Mary made her appearance in front of St. Juan Diego in 1531. It is said she appeared in front of him and told him to build a church in her honor. He had failed in his mission a few times until she performed a miracle. She told him to collect roses, when he appeared in front of an audience he opened his cloak and the roses fell out in an image of her. This lead to him deciding to build a shrine for her. People doubt the stories since there is no evidence of apparition until 1648. Also people say Juan Diego was approached in 1534 not 1531 and doesn’t speak of Mary in his writings. Nonetheless there is prove dating back to at least 1556 a shrine has been built for Mary at a chapel in Tepeyac. 

The Virgin of Guadalupe: 16^thand 17^thcentury

During the 16^thand 17^thcentury her popularity began to pick up. One of the big reasons was she ended a deadly epidemic of hemorrhagic fever in Mexico City in 1736-37. This allowed her to spread globally, beginning in Spain to California as well as Guatemala and El Salvador. She was approved patronage and granted mass and proper feast for December 12^th. Also during this time she had her first poem written and fist visual representation outside of the miraculous original. 

The Virgin of Guadalupe: Shrine

The Virgin Mary is well known and is a staple in the Hispanic community. Her image has played as an important role throughout Mexico for many years. So Symbolic, her shrine has been rebuilt multiple times. Today the shrine is a basilica which is the third highest church of Western Christendom. The first Basilica was built in 1660 and the second structure was built in the 1970s on one side of the same plaza. The newer Basilica has the same structure and feeling as the older days. It also has a small chapel about Juan Diego. The entire complex is referred to as La Villa Basilica. 

 

The Virgin of Guadalupe: Meaning

There are many reasons in which people love and worship Mary. A few of them is because she stand for life, hope and health. Being a mother is already symbolic but being a supernatural mother takes it even further. Being the mother of Christ through immaculate conception is big in the catholic world. Another huge reason she is valued in Mexico is because she represents their “political and religious aspirations”. “The Guadalupe symbol thus links together family, politics and religion; colonial past and independent present”

The Virgin of Guadalupe: Catholicism 

In Catholic religion Mary took a vow to stay a virgin. She was visited by archangel Gabriel who then told her she would be the mother of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. She is referred to as the Queen since Jesus is known as king throughout all the lands. She is seen as the spiritual mother of all beings. She is with newborns at baptism until death. She provides nourishment and hope throughout our lives. It is said if you say the rosary every day, Mary promises up to 15 promises. All in which favor your likelihood to go to heaven.