22 Marian Helper • Winter 2022-23 • Marian.org One of the greatest Marian Helpers On Dec. 9, we celebrate the feast of a simple Indian peasant who gazed upon the beautiful Mother of God on a hilltop in Mexico and followed, without objection, her instructions to bring the Good News to the world. She was Our Lady of Guadalupe, and he was Juan Diego, “the eagle who speaks” (Cuauhtlatoatzin). In his humility and fidelity, courage and fearlessness, St. Juan Diego was a true Marian Helper. A Church in turmoil The story is well-known. The year was 1531. The capital city of Tenochtitlan (now the center of Mexico City) had been recently laid waste by Hernan Cortez and his conquistadors. Cities and temples had been decimated, and smallpox wiped out half the indigenous population. The Aztec wise men claimed the world was coming to an end. Meanwhile, the first Bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumárraga, clashed with the new Spanish government over abuses carried out against the natives, including widespread murder and enslavement. In 1530, he excommunicated members of the First Audiencia (Royal Court of New Spain) and fled from Mexico City, writing to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, “If God does not provide a solution by his own hand, this land is about to be completely lost.” Tepeyac Hill It was in the midst of this desperate situation that the humble protagonist of our story was quietly traveling By Br. Ben, MIC World of Mercy: Mexico Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe “Beloved Juan Diego, ‘the talking eagle’! Show us the way that leads to the ‘Dark Virgin’ of Tepeyac, that she may receive us in the depths of her heart, for she is the loving, compassionate Mother who guides us to the true God. Amen.” —Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, July 31, 2002
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