Our Lady of Guadalupe protects unborn

Published: December 5, 2018

En Español

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be celebrated on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Special celebrations mark this feast in parishes across Arkansas. See our Calendar of Events to find events in your area.

In December 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared as an Aztec princess to Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac, outside a small village near Mexico City. The poor, humble man, who was declared a saint in 2002, told his bishop about the visits from the Virgin of Guadalupe and her desire for a church to be built on the site where she appeared. The bishop asked for a sign to prove that Juan Diego was telling the truth.

When Juan Diego asked Mary to provide this proof, she told him to gather the roses growing on the hillside. Even though roses are rare in December, he was able to fill his cloak with them. When he returned to the bishop, he opened his cloak and the fresh roses fell to the ground and miraculously revealed an imprint of Our Lady’s image on his tilma (cloak). 

The bishop fell to his knees and agreed to build a church on the site. The Catholic Church approved the apparition in 1555. Our Lady of Guadalupe was solemnly crowned Queen of the Mexican people in the name of Pope Leo XIII in 1895. As a result, millions converted to Christianity in Mexico. Today, Our Lady of Guadalupe is not only the patroness of Mexico, but of all the Americas as well as the protector of unborn children. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is now located on the site where she appeared.

Miraculously, the 485-year-old tilma that held Our Lady of Guadalupe's image remains to this day. According to the International Marian Research Institute, it has survived 17th-century floods in Mexico City and was undamaged by a bomb explosion. The colors have not faded over time and the cactus cloth remains intact although such material typically lasts fewer than 20 years. Rich with symbolism, the image itself reveals part of the message Our Lady came to give the people of Mexico.

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

This prayer was taken from the 2010 Respect Life Liturgy Guide from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.

Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of unborn children, we implore your intercession for every child at risk of abortion. Help expectant parents to welcome from God the priceless gift of their child’s life. Console parents who have lost that gift through abortion, and lead them to forgiveness and healing through the Divine Mercy of your Son. Teach us to cherish and to care for family and friends until God calls them home. Help us never to see others as burdens. Guide our public officials to defend each and every human life through just laws. Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life, to speak for those who have no voice. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.