With love from Mexico - Part 1

Two years ago, as a First Eucharist gift, Gracie received a CD of Glory Stories. On it was the story of Blessed Imelda and St. Juan Diego. Gracie was totally captivated by the story of Juan Diego and started asking if we could go see his tilma. A pilgrimage was born in our hearts. This is the summer.  We arrived in Mexico City on Saturday, June 4.

Sunday, June 5
Mass at Catedral Metopolitana

Mass at noon was with the ArchBishop. The large cathedral was very full. From where we were sitting we couldn't even see the altar. Little did we know at the time, we were in the location where Juan Diego showed the miraculous painting to the Bishop...

Lunch from a local taco joint - Salon Carona

Then on to the reason we came... the Shrine

First we ascended a series of star cases adorned with flowers.

The view from the walk up - overlooking the old and new basilicas

The climb brought on an appetite

This chapel was the first built - on the site of first, second and fourth apparition.

Inside - there were some stellar paintings of the life of Juan Diego here. This was the one of the busiest chapels on the campus so there was no real time to snap pictures of them.

Then we begin the trek down the hill - there were grottos and waterfalls with beautiful flowers all along the way

From above we view the site of the 3rd apparition

This sculpture is a depiction of the natives offering their riches to the Virgen 

These three above are taken in the place of the 3rd apparition - Juan Diego was hurrying past tyring to get by without seeing the Blessed Mother. On this site is where a miraculous well sprung up.

This was my favorite stop, a chapel built on the site of Juan Diego' s hermitage and his burial place. You could feel his presence

At the end of the tour! We found a map - but I guess we never really needed one with our handy tour guide Miguel.

Here we are!

But wait - before we go in - gift shop and explanation of the painting!

What the fabric of the tilma is like

Fabric made from the Agave Cactus...

While Mimi shops for souvenirs, Gracie shops for a snack

Finally inside the door of mercy to the Basilica - Mass every hour on the hour on Sundays. Holy Presence felt here. The lights are arranged in the same fashion as the roses that fell from the tilma

This is it. The moment  you have all been waiting for!

Juanito! 

We had dinner at the same place two nights in a row - Cafe  Tacuba - the second night they led us to a table with the Virgen of Guadelupe above it!