Introduction to Our Lady of Guadalupe  

 

“I have great hopes in your love for Christ and for men...Let us set out with renewed enthusiasm; united with Christ, under the motherly gaze of the Virgin, Our Lady of Guadalupe the sweet mother of priests and religious.” Saint Pope John Paul II

 

 Our Lady of Guadalupe also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe is a title of the Virgin Mary associated with a celebrated pictorial image housed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic site in the world, and the third-most visited sacred Catholic site in the world.  On the morning of December 9, 1531, a native American peasant named Juan Diego saw a vision of a maiden at a place called the Hill of Tepevac, speaking to him in his native Nahuatl language. The maiden asked that a church be built at that site in her honour. From her words, Juan Diego recognized the maiden as the Virgin Mary. He then sought out the archbishop of Mexico City, Fray to tell him what had happened. The archbishop instructed him to return to Tepeyac Hill, and ask the lady for a miraculous sign to prove her identity. The first sign she gave was the healing of Juan's uncle. The Virgin also told Juan to gather flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill, which was normally barren, especially in December. But Juan followed her instructions and he found Castilian roses, not native to Mexico, blooming there. The Virgin arranged the flowers in his tilma or cloak, and when Juan Diego opened his cloak before archbishop Zumárraga on December 12, the flowers fell to the floor, and on the fabric was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. 

 

Every year we are pleased to invite you to join our Pilgrimage to Mexico in December to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of Mexico and of Latin America and every year on 12th December the Mass of the Roses is celebrated at her Shrine. This pilgrimage is a unique opportunity to invoke the help of the Blessed Virgin for peace and justice in the world today. Those returning from this pilgrimage say they have found it a wonderful and enriching experience, both spiritually and culturally. We also give you the opportunity of extending your tour and spending a few days or a week at leisure by the sea.

 

This tour is available for groups of 15 or more pilgrims

 

Please email info@special-pilgrimages.co.uk or call 01702 394000 should you be interested in organising a pilgrimage!

 

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Sample Itinerary 

Day 1

London Heathrow / Mexico City

Depart from London Heathrow Airport on a British Airways scheduled. Meeting and  assistance upon arrival. Transfer to your hotel in Mexico City to check in, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2

Mexico City / Pyramids of Teotihuacan

After breakfast we visit the Church of Santo Domingo, founded in 1576 and containing one of the first Rosary shrines in Mexico. Here we will say the Rosary for the Missions before proceeding to Mexico Metropolitan Cathedral, which started in 1573, and was designed to replace a smaller church. The present structure took 250 years to complete. Within, there are various Chapels and Altars; the Altar of Forgiveness made of gilded carved wood; the Chapel of the Kings, built in expectation of Royal visits that never came. The Cathedral is a treasure trove of beautiful paintings, sculptures and jewellery. Today we will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral before we continue to Zocal. In the afternoon we drive to visit the Pyramids of Teotihuacan - "Place of the Gods" the site of one of Mexico's most ancient civilizations. Here you will see the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and other fascinating structures. After we finish our tours we will return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3

Chapultepec Park / free afternoon

After breakfast we travel by coach to Chapultepec Park and Castle. The park is one of the oldest in the Americas. We will also visit the museum of Anthropology which houses thousands of relics of Mexico's past civilizations. Mass will be celebrated in the vicinity and the afternoon is free for individual activity and for shopping. We suggest that you take a walk along Francisco Madero Street, Juarez Avenue and Alameda Park. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel in Mexico City.

Day 4

Taxco 

After breakfast we will take an excursion to Taxco. The ancient mining town of Taxco is characterized by its cobbled and winding lanes, traditional plazas and antique houses with elegant colonial facades. The small city of Taxco, sitting just north of the State of Guerrero, is one of the most popular destinations in Mexico, and understandably so. This beautiful town is embedded in a region sheltered by rolling hills and mountains, but its historical past is also a major draw for visitors. Due to the intense exploitation of its silver deposits, Taxco became one of the most important mining areas in the empire of New Spain. Today, in almost every corner of the town, you can find stores where locally-produced silver jewellery is sold. Beautiful, high-quality earrings, necklaces, cufflinks and other creations make the perfect gift to take home with you when you leave Taxco. The city's name comes from “Tlachco”, which means “place of the ball game” in the Aztec language, Nahuatl. The historical prestige of the town is crowned by its ancient buildings, including innumerable churches, small houses and palaces. Due to the beauty of the surrounding landscape, the astounding architecture, and the traditions and warmth you can feel on its streets, Taxco was designated a Magic Town, meaning a Mexican town of high cultural value. We will then return to Mexico City for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5

Puebla

This morning we depart for Puebla "City of Angels" via Cholula, where you will be amazed by the Great Pyramid; the largest in the Western Hemisphere and the numerous churches. There is said to be 365 Altars, one for every day of the year. Nearby you will visit Santa Maria Tonazintla and its little jewel of a Church built in the 16th Century by an Indian architect. We visit also the 16th century Cathedral, the striking Rosary Chapel whose carved, gilt altar is truly a work of art, the Convent of Santa Rosa, now turned into the Regional ceramics Museum; and the hidden  Convent of Santa Monica, which operated secretly until discovered in 1934. We will  attend Mass at one of the churches visited before we return to our hotel in Mexico for dinner and overnight stay. 

Day 6

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

By way of the Plaza of the Three Cultures, and Tlatelolco we will visit the shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe. Later in the afternoon we return to Mexico City and continue to Xochimilco floating gardens for a boat ride on a typically decorated trajinera. We shall return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. After breakfast we drive to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the "Patroness of the Americas." Catholics worldwide consider the Basilica to be one of the holiest places in the Western Hemisphere. The special Mass of the Roses will be celebrated at the new Basilica where the Shrine is housed. The modern Basilica, dedicated in 1976, is of unusual design and brilliant colours. Above its main altar hangs the original image of the Virgin whose imprint appeared on the humble Indian Juan Diego's sackcloth in 1531 as testimony of her appearances. In 1745 the Vatican gave official recognition to the Miracle of Guadalupe and the Church was declared a Basilica in 1904. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

Day 8

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe / Mexico City airport / London Heathrow

After breakfast we will have a final visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We will celebrate Mass in the vicinity. You will have some free time and then later in the afternoon we will transfer to the airport for your return flight to London Heathrow on a direct British Airways service. 

 

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