Ever wonder why thousands flock to this church every year? This is the Basilica of Guadalupe in Monterrey. It is a Roman Catholic church. It stands in the Colonia Independencia neighborhood. This is just outside the city’s downtown area.
The Basilica of Guadalupe is one of the larger churches in northern Mexico. It honors the Virgin Mary. She is known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is the Patroness of America. Tradition says she appeared to St. Juan Diego. This happened on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City in 1531.
Let’s step back in time. The story of this sacred site began with Bishop Francisco de Paula Verea y González de Hermosillo. He deeply admired the Virgin of Tepeyac. In 1867, he commissioned a small church to honor her. Its walls were made of ashlar stone. Inside, an oil painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe adorned the altar. People gathered outside to hear Mass in the open air.
In 1895, Bishop Santiago de los Santos Garza Zambrano decided the small church needed to be bigger. He replaced it with a larger stone building. The area in front became La Plaza de Guadalupe. Vendors would set up stalls during the December 12 festival. The sanctuary’s popularity grew. In 1905, the government extended the tram line to the area. In 1930, the plaza was renamed for the poet Salvador Díaz Mirón.
But the story does not end there. The Old Basilica still stands. It has a 1931 Wurlitzer organ. In the 1960s, it became a parish church for Colonia Independencia. Today, it is about 50 meters from the current Basilica of Guadalupe.
Each year, the Basilica of Guadalupe is visited by thousands of faithful devotees. This is especially true before December 12, her feast day. At midnight on the 12th, mariachis fill the air with traditional songs. They are paying tribute to the Virgin.
In the weeks before the holiday, pilgrims arrive. Peregrinos pray or chant as they come. Matachines dance their way to the basilica. They converge to pray. They attend Mass. They gather in front of a copy of the image of the Guadalupana. The original image is in the Mexico City basilica.
Recently, on March 14, 2023, Pope Francis allowed a canonical coronation. This was for the venerated copy in the basilica. The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved it. The ceremony took place on December 6, 2023. Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera López of Monterrey led the event.
Look around you. Notice the traditional shops outside the Basilica of Guadalupe. Consider the motto above the temple entrance. It reads, “¿No estoy yo aquí que soy tu Madre…?” This means, “Am I not here, who is your mother?” This Basilica is more than a building. It is a testament to faith, tradition, and the enduring devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.