The Continuing Impact of Our Lady of Guadalupe, by Allison Low

By Allison Low, Catholic Stand, 10 July AD 2019

Did you know that among Christians, the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most visited pilgrimage site in the world? It is estimated there are 20 million visitors to the shrine every year. To put this in perspective, Rome is the second most visited site with approximately 7-9 million visitors a year.

Several weeks ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Mexico City and the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The sheer number of visitors to the site of the Marian apparitions to Juan Diego and to the shrine displaying her gift of the miraculous image is a witness to the wonder of this place.  After learning more about the history of the Aztec people, the Marian apparitions, and the shrine, I can attest to the fact that God is continuing to send us many graces through Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Mexico and the Aztec People

During my visit, I learned that Mexico has been inhabited for over 7,000 years.  In the early 14^th century AD, a small wandering tribe of people known as the Culhua-Mexica people (known more commonly as the Aztecs) migrated south and, in the span of one century, became a  powerful empire that stretched over most of present-day Mexico.

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