La Virgen de Guadalupe: A symbol of faith for Hispanics

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — One of the central figures in the catholic church for Hispanics is La Virgen de Guadalupe.

Every December 12, hundreds of thousands of parishioners gather to celebrate the apparition of “La Virgen de Guadalupe" to an indigenous peasant 500 years ago. She's been loved and honored ever since.

As the story goes, in 1531, on a mountain top known as “El Tepeyac," La Virgen de Guadalupe miraculously appeared before Juan Diego. The Virgin told the indigenous man to ask the bishop to build a church on that very spot.

Juan Diego proved his experience to be true, because the image of La Virgen de Guadalupe was imprinted on his cloak, from the red stain left behind by the roses he was carrying.

The Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City was built, just as the Virgen instructed.

Today, it's one of the most iconic churches in all of Latin America.

Here in the Rio Grande Valley, many churches take part in this yearly sacred celebration, recreating the apparition, gathering for midnight mass and serenading La Virgen de Guadalupe with mariachi.

"Oftentimes we have dancers and they wear the indigenous costumes, which are still used in Mexico, especially around the sanctuary, the Basilica in Mexico City, where people come in their own traditional garb to sing and to dance, which is something that has been happening since the 16th century," Bishop Daniel Flores of The Diocese of Brownsville said.  "We have groups that teach the young people how to do the traditional dances, then we have groups that represent a little bit later in the history of the devotion, often with mariachi music and things like that. You have different stages in the history - it's been over 500 years, there's a lot of colorful sort of expressions over 500 years."

La Virgen de Guadalupe plays a very evident and central part in many Hispanics' homes, as they believe she intercedes on their behalf before Jesus, especially when it comes to desperate pleas, dire times, and even when miracles are needed.

Some make their way to the Basilica on foot, across long treks, and some even on their knees - as a way to thank the Virgen for her divine intervention.

Many faithful also chose to honor La Virgen de Guadalupe by naming their children, either female or male, Guadalupe, or, as they're more commonly called, Lupe or Lupita.