The Queen of the Americas Guild held it's annual pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe from February 28 to March 4, 2008. We were joined by a lovely group of over 30 pilgrims from all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Although some had already met on their flights or during transport to the hotel, the entire group first came together during the Thursday evening welcome dinner at the hotel. During dinner, a brief overview of the tour schedule was discussed, and Bishop Madera stopped by to welcome the group to Mexico.

Friday morning began with a welcome introduction from Guild President Frank Smoczynski, followed by an inspirational and informative talk by Bishop Joseph J. Madera, Guild Moderator and retired Auxiliary of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, U.S.A. Bishop Madera spoke of Our Lady's pictograph, and the detailed message she left for the people of Mexico. His comprehensive knowledge of Our Lady's appearances to St. Juan Diego was very evident, and pilgrims headed to the Basilica with a renewed appreciation for Our Lady's miracle.

Like many Mexican pilgrims to the shrine, our group processed up the avenue leading to the Basilica while carrying a large floral offering to Our Lady. Unlike some prior years, we found the plaza in front of the Basilica nearly empty, allowing us to take our time to pose for photographs, and reflect on the profound meaning of Our Lady's miracle. Soon, though, Bishop Madera welcomed us into the Basilica, and led us up the center aisle where we were seated at the main altar. We enjoyed a lovely Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish, all in sight of St. Juan Diego's precious tilma.

After Mass, pilgrims were led on a comprehensive tour of the Basilica area, which began with a short walk up the first steps of Tepeyac hill to view the property owned by the Guild. The group was informed of the work the Guild is doing to fulfill the wishes of Guild founder, Bishop Jerome Hastrich, to build a retreat center near Our Lady's image that will be a safe place for pilgrims to gather, stay, and be close to Our Lady.

The Basilica area tour continued with a visit to the Guadalupe Museum, which houses hundreds of beautiful paintings and sculptures, most of which depict Our Lady in her many different apparitions. Visits to the Old Basilica, Church of the Well, and Church of the Indians completed the guided tour. Pilgrims were then left with free time to re-visit favorite places, or to make the journey up Tepeyac Hill to visit the Chapel of the Roses, built on the spot where Our Lady first appeared to St. Juan Diego.

Before returning to our hotel, we visited another important place in the story in Our Lady's Miracle, the Plaza of the Three Cultures. In this plaza is found the Church of Santiago de Tlalteloco, where St. Juan Diego was baptized, and where he was headed when Our Lady appeared to him. His baptismal font can still be seen here.

After a full day spent with Our Lady, pilgrims returned to the hotel for dinner and discussions regarding the day's events. All agreed that the day had been truly special, and they were most thankful for the gift of Bishop Madera's time and talents.

The next day began with a drive toward the city of Puebla, located approximately 75 miles Southeast of Mexico City. On the way, pilgrims were treated to beautiful views of Mexico's countryside and mountains, including the nearby active volcano, Popocatepetl. Once in Puebla, we went straight to the enormous Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where Bishop Madera concelebrated Mass along with the three other priests in our group.

.After Mass, we were allowed a tour of the sacristy, and a tiny hidden octagonal shaped chapel, with walls virtually covered in gold leaf and beautiful paintings, some not paintings at all. Bishop Madera was quick to point out that several of the paintings or feather mosaics, were actually made entirely out of thousands of tiny feathers, of which these are some of the finest examples in Mexico. Again, the honor of having Bishop Madera with our group allowed us this very special privilege.

We continued on our tour of Puebla, which included a visit to Santo Domingo church with its stunning Rosary Chapel. This chapel, completed in 1690, is entirely covered in ornate gold leaf, tiles, and fine woodcarvings, and is one of the finest examples of Mexican Baroque style. From there we moved on to the church of San Francisco and learned of the story of Blessed Sebastian de la Aparicio and viewed his incorrupt body.

After a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant, we began our journey back to Mexico City, with two stops along the way. The first stop was in the charming town of Cholula, where we viewed the hidden Great Pyramid of Tepenapa, the largest pyramid (by volume) in the world. Atop the grass covered pyramid sits Our Lady of the Remedies church, built here by the conquerors to show their dominance over the Aztecs.

Next on the agenda was the church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla, a hidden gem only a short distance from Cholula. Inside this church we found a virtual explosion of Mexican Indian artwork – thousands of angels, saints, and scrolls carved in a primitive fashion covering every surface of wall and ceiling, then painted and accented with gold. It was a stark contrast to the ornate Spanish influenced churches previously seen, and instantly became the favorite of many of our pilgrims.

On Sunday morning, the group headed to Tulpetlac, site of the fifth apparition of Our Lady. Here we had Mass at the simple shrine built to commemorate Our Lady's appearance to Juan Bernadino, St. Juan Diego's uncle. Bishop Madera again concelebrated along with our three pilgrim priests. Afterwards, pilgrims were able to gather some of the healing water from the shrine's well.

After lunch back at the hotel, we visited the charming neighborhood of Coyoacan. Here Bishop Madera took us on a tour of the Convent of the Holy Cross, whose sisters are affiliated with his order, the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. Bishop Madera enthusiastically shared the story of Venerable Conchita, whose works inspired the foundation of both the Sisters of the Cross of the Sacred Heart and the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. A short distance away, we visited San Jose El Altillo church to view the tomb of Conchita, along with the church's beautiful stained glass window depicting the Holy Spirit. Bishop Madera had attended seminary here for a time, and his close connection with both the Sisters and the entire Coyoacan area translated into a most joyous visit for the pilgrims.

After a return to the hotel for an early dinner, some pilgrims headed out to see the famous Ballet Folklorico at the Palace of Fine Arts. Not only were they treated to a world-class folk dance performance, but they were also able to see the Palace's beautiful collection of Diego Rivera murals, as well as the stunning Tiffany designed stained glass curtain.

Monday morning began with a brief walking tour of Mexico City's central historic district. We visited San Felipe de Jesus and San Francisco churches, the House of Tiles, and an enormous bakery, where the selection of tempting pastries was so large, it was impossible to choose just one. After a quick rest at the hotel, we moved on to the Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico's largest, for Mass in it's beautiful Chapel of the Angels. Bishop Madera and our three priests concelebrating in this tiny chapel made our last Mass together a lovely experience. This cathedral holds the tomb of Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, the Bishop to whom St. Juan Diego revealed Our Lady's image.

Just across the Zocolo, or main square, we stopped at the National Palace to view another Diego Rivera mural masterpiece, History and Perspective of Mexico. Located in the main stairway of the Palace, this mural covers an enormous area and contains amazing detail of Mexico's rich and turbulent history.

After lunch with Bishop Madera, the group headed back to the Basilica for a chance to say goodbye to Our Lady. Free time was spent in prayerful contemplation, shopping, or for the adventurous, in a climb up Tepeyac Hill to see El Cerrito, site of Our Lady's first appearance to Juan Diego. At this point, our journey was complete; we had traveled the footsteps of St. Juan Diego, and were left with a new understanding of Our Lady's miracle.

After a brief stop for shopping on the way back to the hotel, the group gathered for the last time for our farewell dinner. There was lively conversation between new friends, and all agreed that the pilgrimage had been a most rewarding experience. Our Lady had brought us together, and we had shared in her miracle.

Rebecca Nichols
March, 2008