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La Guadalupana |
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Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico
City from December 9, 1531 through December 12, 1531. Speaking in Nahuatl, the native American language of the area, Our Lady asked
for a church to be built at that site in Her honor. When Juan Diego spoke to the Spanish bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga,
the bishop asked him for a miraculous sign to prove his claim. The Virgin asked Juan Diego to gather some flowers at the top of the
hill, even though it was winter when no flowers bloomed. He found there Castilian roses, gathered them, and the Virgin herself
re-arranged them in his tilma, an apron-like cloak. Juan Diego returned to the prelate, his
tilma filled with roses that had bloomed miraculously in deep December. When he opened the tilma, the roses spilled to the ground
and revealed the Virgin's image imprinted on the fabric. This tilma, with its vivid portrait of the dark-skinned, crowned Virgin,
dressed in pink with a star-emblazoned blue-green robe, is almost 500 years old now. It is housed at the Basilica of Guadalupe in
Mexico City and is Mexico's most important religious and cultural icon. |
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Mexico City, Tlaxcala, Ocotlan, Puebla and Cholula |
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6 Days - Mexico |
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Itinerary |
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Day 1: |
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Depart the USA for our flight to Mexico City, where our Tour Director welcomes us to Mexico.
The rest of the day is at leisure. A visit to the Anthropological Musuem to learn more about this wonderful city is suggested.
Overnight in Mexico City. |
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Day 2: |
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We start the day with a visit to the Plaza of the Three Cultures, the Church of Santiago in Tlatelolco where Bishop Zumárraga
lived during the time of the apparitions and the baptismal site of Juan Diego, a humble Aztec Indian, named
Cuauhtlatoa meaning "Singing Eagle" before his conversion and baptism, then to the
small village of Tulpetlac, site of the 4th apparition where Our Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego’s uncle, Juan Bernardino. We then
continue to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, known affectionately as "La Villa", the most sacred spot in all of Mexico.
Depending on the physical energy of the group, we may want to climb the Chapel of Tepeyac, the original site where Our Lady appeared to
Juan Diego in the winter of December 1531 asking him to build a Church. Juan Diego was one of the first natives who was evangelized
in New Spain, who received from the Virgin an imprint on his tilma of Her image as Our Lady of Guadalupe, currently hanging
in splendor above the main altar. The guide will give an introductory tour of the old and new Basilica and the surrounding grounds.
Overnight in Mexico City. |
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Day 3: |
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After breakfast, we will celebrate Mass, followed by a city tour of the Zocalo area with the Metropolitan Cathedral
and the National Palace. Time permitting, we will also visit the Plaza of Santo Domingo, the
first church built by the Dominicans in 1576 which houses the first shrine in Mexico, Our Lady of the Rosary and the second shrine, Our
Lady of Covadonga. Then we visit Our Lady of Guadalupe once again. In the afternoon, we depart for Teotihuacan. This fascinating thirteen
square mile archeological site derived its name, meaning "Place Where Gods are Made" from the Aztecs. See the Pyramid of the
Sun, a massive 215 ft. high pyramid; the smaller but equally awesome Pyramid of the Moon; the Temple of Quetzalcoatl with its enormous
ornamental snakehead; and the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl, as you walk along the grand Avenue of the Dead. Overnight in Mexico City. |
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Day 4: |
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After breakfast, we travel north to Tlaxcala to visit the Shrine of San Miguel del Milagro.
This is the site where St. Michael the Archangel appeared to Diego Lazaro de San Francisco on April 25, 1631 leaving behind healing
water located in the well just outside the Church. Then we continue to Ocotlan to visit the richly decorated Basilica; the miraculous
image of Our Lady of Ocotlan stands beautifully dressed high above the altar on a silver pedestal and enclosed in a glass case. It was in
this town that She appeared to Juan Diego Bernardino on Feb. 27, 1541. History relates that the people of Ocotlan found a wooden statue
of Our Blessed Mother burnt into one of the pine trees in the forest. They later carried this staue to the nearby chapel of St. Lawrence.
An extraordinary phenomenon regarding the facial expression of the statue occurs during certain religious festivities and social events
which has been witnessed by many. She has bestowed many blessings and graces to Her people. An afternoon departure for Puebla, where we
will celebrate Mass at the Rosary Chapel in this ancient city of many churches. Overnight in Puebla. |
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Day 5: |
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Enroute back to Mexico City, we visit Sta. Maria Tonantzintla and the Church of Our Lady of
the Remedios atop the Cholula archeological site. We visit Our Lady of Guadalupe one more time before heading back to the hotel. Overnight
in Mexico City. |
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Day 6: |
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We bid farewell to Mexico as we board our flight back to the USA. |
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