Mother of the True God Prayer Card

December 9, 1531, Juan Diego was walking near the Hill of Tepeyac when he encountered a beautiful lady who identified herself as the Virgin Mary. Speaking in Juan Diego's native language of Nahuatl, she asked him to convey a message to the local bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, requesting the construction of a church at the site of the apparition. When Juan Diego conveyed the message to the bishop, he was met with skepticism. To prove the authenticity of his encounter, Juan Diego was instructed to ask for a miraculous sign from the lady. Juan Diego returned to the hill, and on December 12, the lady appeared again. She directed him to gather roses from the normally barren and rocky terrain, which he found in abundance. Juan Diego then wrapped the roses in his tilma (a cloak made of cactus fiber) and presented them to the bishop. As Juan Diego opened his tilma before the bishop, the roses fell to the ground, revealing an astonishing image of the lady imprinted on the fabric. This image is now famously known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. It depicts a young, dark-skinned woman, wearing a mantle of stars, standing on a crescent moon, and surrounded by golden rays of light. The image captivated the bishop, who recognized it as a miraculous sign from heaven.