It got to the point that I felt as if fear, happiness, sorrow, anger were all one draining from my body as if it was being pulled from me. In 1949 Azpiazu brought to his parish of St. John the Baptist a replica of the image of Our Lady of San Juan venerated in Jalisco at San Juan de Los Lagos. Every Catholic or non-Catholic should come to the Basilica to experience Gods love and mercy. It would take 11 more years to finish the impressively towering baroque spires that would cap off the new church. The statue is venerated both in Mexico and in the United States where it is known by its proxy title Nuestra Seora de San Juan del Valle (Our Lady of Saint John of the Valley), mainly focused in Texas.[1][2]. She was alive! Required fields are marked *. It is also a National shrine under the direction of the Diocese of Brownsville. The town was then called San Juan Mezquititlan Baptist but its name was changed to San Juan de Los Lagos in 1623. Today, defying all scientific explanation, the statue is in pristine condition. Our Love & Faith belongs to God only. Ofelia, Thanks for writing this to me. The Shrine is staffed by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and is located in San Juan, Hidalgo County, in the lower Rio Grande valley. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, hundreds are drawn to the Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of San Juan del Valle Texas and the number of pilgrims continues to grow. Silent prayer or meditation helps us center our thoughts on Gods goodness and offers renewal in a noisy, hectic world. Reciprocation is nevertheless always required and when no terms are stated it is likely to take the form of a shrine visit to give thanks in person. Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, Texas, United States, Holy Family Old Cathedral, Alaska, United States, Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C., United States, Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, Texas, US, St. Marys Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany, Cathdrale Notre-Dame du Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne, France, Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebires, Albert, France, Basilica of Notre-Dame des Victoires, Paris, France. So the way she looks now is because its the way the artist restructured her or dressed her? History She seemed to glide through the air like a bird! In silence they talk to thee and thou knowest their hearts. This festival is attended by more than a million people, many of them walking, from all over Mexico. So if you qualify for a gift from Marypages, then don't forget to enter your address detailsso we cansend you the gift. Both are blessed. As a young priest, he had founded a school for the training of catechists. A family of trapeze artists had just arrived enroute to Gaudalajara. 3rd Sunday after Easter: Heat up the iron! If so, we are at your service. In a short time the statue was beautifully restored and the artists vanished, without asking for any payment. In 1972, Bishop John J. Fitzpatrick separated the administration of the Shrine from the parish. Audiences were always thrilled at the element of danger that the daggers introduced. The rosary contains a drop of holy water from the spring in Lourdes. God bless you all. [3] According to local histories, and some eyewitness accounts, a certain aerial acrobat was traveling along the Camino Real, "the Royal Highway," from San Luis Potos to Guadalajara, performing in the towns along the way. Inside the church, upon a platform with an upturned crescent moon, stands the statue of the Virgin. https://mexicounexplained.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/VirginofSanJuandeLosLagos.mp3, The Ancient Dinosaur Figurines of Acmbaro, Pancho Villa and the Disappearance of Ambrose Bierce, The Mexico City Flying Saucer Crash of 1949, Mara Lionza: Mexicos Imported Indigenous Folk Saint, The Mysterious Disappearance of Mexican Supermodel Gabriela Rico Jimnez. The Basilica of the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos currently attracts 7 million visitors annually from all over the world with one million of them coming for the fiestas devoted to the Virgin in late January and early February. Feast: February 2, June 24, August 15, December 8. Suddenly the child came back to life. Sociologists call this exchange petitionary devotion where there is a reciprocity attached to holy sites or objects. In 1623, during the rehearsal for an acrobatic performance, the child of the acrobat, who was part of the act, lost her balance and was killed. When the father arrived in the city he was met by two handsome strangers who approached him: Are you looking for an artist to repair a sacred image? they asked. Please click Accept Cookies to continue to use the site. For all other places around the world there is a blessed replica. Wow how amazing my grandfather told me a similar story and basically had the same experience you did .thank you for sharing. I have donated money to her thru the church. Beside the sanctuary is a sala (a room) which gives evidence of an uninterrupted series of favours and miracles. Its walls are covered with testimonials of thanksgiving from grateful recipients. Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos (English Our Lady of Saint John of the Lakes) is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by Mexican and Texan faithful. In 1979 Martinez convinced the bishop of San Juan to allow the statue to come to California, and the statue left Mexico for the first time ever in 1980. After a solemn Mass, the celebration would continue with Mexican food and music. To heighten the suspense of their show, the father of the acrobatic family instructed that daggers facing upward should be inserted into the dirt beneath their performance space, which was routine for them to do. With Juan Manuel Azcona, Humberto Fuentes, Mau Lopez, Franco Mndez. Gifts to the Virgin may not take the form of the devotional paintings, however. Faithful venerate the image of Our Lady of San Juan de Los Lagos at Our Lady of the Rosary Church. Deny your priesthood! Meeting them at the door of the chapel was the 78-year-old Ana Lucia, the wife of Pedro Antes (the caretaker and custodian of the beloved statue). Years later after I was widowed I had moved to my new home which was newly built in New property. Prayer to our Lady of San Juan Lagos, laminated prayer card. Ana was particularly devoted to the statue of Our Lady and called it Cihuapilli (Lady). The year was 1623. the beauty was breath taking. Amen. I remember looking at the walls. Its a lot of meaning, said Father Jorge. Prayer to Our Lady of San Juan del Valle $0.25 Add to Cart Laminated Prayer Card "Prayer to Our Lady of Loreto". The crowd stared spellbound. Deacon Administrator: Hugo Salinas. When Im husband didnt have a steady job but he always provided for us .I was pregnant and I would dream Our Lady of San Juan de Los Lagos. Jose Maria Azpiazu, O.M.I., became pastor of the parish of St. John the Baptist in San Juan, Texas. Basilica Of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle,400 Virgen de San Juan Blvd,San Juan,Texas, TX 78589, United States. Robert Bitto Mary Hansen writes at MadonnasOfMexico.com. I have the remedy, said 78-year-old Ana Lucia in a firm voice. Your email address will not be published. Nuestra Seora de la Salud (Our Lady of Health) in Patzcuaro and the Virgin of Zapopan in the city of Guadalajara. Seek God only. The girls hands began trembling. I need your opinion: I know that for God and for our Lady there are no obstacles of distance or circumstances. During the pilgrimage season an older gentleman was struggling to walk with the pilgrimage and a man saw this and help him up to keep up. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. The new Shrine opened in 1980 and while its beautiful year-round, Christmas truly brings the holiday season to life. REFERENCES (This is not a formal bibliography): Compendio de la historia de Nuestra Seora de San Juan de los Lagos by Cango Aguayo (in Spanish), Miraculous Images and Votive Offerings in Mexico by Frank Graziano. We just got back from visiting the virgen de San Juan De los logos . It was instantaneous, someone I had known for a long time and had dated before. When the father arrived in the city he was met by two handsome strangers who approached him: Are you looking for an artist to repair a sacred image? they asked. Four centuries later, a family make a pilgrimage for their own child. Her panicked parents, horrified at the sight, rushed to her aid, but she was already dead. The corrupt in the mother church have confused the masses. But this was soon to change! He was so moved by the image that he spent three minutes before the statue in a spirit of intense recollection. As he was exiting from her presence, he turned back (as if he couldnt tear himself away) and spent an additional 120 seconds in prayer before the revered image. Rio Valley Switching, Union Pacific Intermodal are the nearby train stations to the Basilica. The town is beautiful and has changed a lot in the past 3 years. Over time, however, the statues face became blackened and disfigured by insects and the elements. To you we cry, the children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this land of exile. 7840 El Cajon Blvd. If the child recovers, the faithful person may create or have commissioned an ex voto painting of the event and leave it in the shrines room of devotions. According to Graham Greene, in his book, The Lawless Roads,It was a time when every priest was hunted down or shot.. The origins of the devotion to Our Lady of San Juan are found in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, a town founded near Guadalajara after the Spanish conquest of Mexico. At that moment I had the sensation of someone putting a arm around my shoulder as if they were walking with me and another sensation of someone speaking to me in front of me. O Mother of Mercy, comfort us in our afflictions and sorrows, soothe our troubles and sufferings, gather up our prayers lay them before thy divine Son and obtain for us grace and salvation. To accommodate the growing number of visitors, in 1732 construction began on a much larger church made mostly of pink sandstone, with work on the main building completed by 1779. By 1623, the statue was no longer the exquisite image it had beenit had become tattered and dishevelled. The circus was coming to town! Another important devotional date is August 15th. Powered by DIVINE HYMNS. $1.00 Add to Cart The town was then called San Juan Mezquititlan Baptist but its name was changed to San Juan de Los Lagos in 1623. We beg you to pray with us as we prepare to celebrate this feast day and implore you to intercede on our behalf. Never! answered the saint. The diminutive statue (it is slightly over a foot in height) was housed in a humble adobe, grass-roofed, chapel. Rapt. Holy Mother, you are the Mother of us all. You are so blessed. The statue of the Virgin was installed in 1769 and the bell towers were completed in 1790. They had developed a compound known as pasta de Michoacan, a mixture of cornstalk glue and orchid bulbs, which formed a lightweight and malleable substance, ideal for their purposes. A family of aerial acrobats was traveling through the towns and villages of rural New Spain. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J.). Pope Pius X granted the image a Pontifical decree of Canonical coronation on 29 January 1904. These miracles are continuing to the present day. $55.57 (10% off) FREE shipping. Probably the greatest honour of all accorded to the statue occurred on May 8, 1990: Pope St. John Paul ll visited the shrine on that day. Francis' New Rescript on the TLM, 1P5 Podcast Archive (Video or Audio-Only), The Top 40: A Traditional Catholic Reading List, From Catholicism to Orthodoxy and Back Again: A Spiritual Journey. Today, we examine the Prayer To Our Lady Of San Juan De Los Lagos, virgen de san juan de los lagos para que sirve and historia de la virgen de san juan de los lagos guide. Our hope is in Christ and in the resurrection of Christ. We ask that you would watch over all those who are sick, especially those in the hospital or nursing homes. Construction began on the present church in 1732. The present edifice is the third in the history of the shrine. I was with my girlfriend. Dallas, TX 75212 ( Map) Phone: 214-631-9627. Please help us with your donation. The various construction and renovation projects occurring at the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos complex have been completely funded by a steady flow of gifts to the shrine. Paintings are usually done on tin but can be found on wood or cardboard and sometimes illustrated in simple pencil or crayons. Please make us mindful of the needs of others and also help them through our prayers. The original image is a popular focus for pilgrims and is located in the state of Jalisco, in central Mexico, 122 kilometers (76mi) northeast of the city of Guadalajara. Prayer is communion with God. Deny Christ! The crowds grew, and in 1954 the construction of a larger shrine was completed and dedicated by Father Azpiazu. Spanish missionaries placed a small image of the Immaculate Conception in the church of San Juan de los Lagos. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Im supposed to be the one evangelizing the people, but no, when I see the devotion and the fate of the people, their fate evangelizes me. Amen. The statue now is pretty much the same as it was after its refurbishment almost 400 years ago. Tel : +1 956-787-0033 How to reach the Basilica McAllen International Airport, Texas is the nearby airport to the Basilica. After the miracle of 1623, the acrobats father was so immensely grateful to the Virgin that he asked permission to take the statue to Guadalajara to be restored. Any extra income generated will be donated to compassionate projects with a Catholic basis. Prayer for a difficult, impossible request. The caretaker of the chapel, an elderly native woman named Ana Luca Antes who was very close to her 80th year, had heard of the tragic accident before the parents arrived with the little girls body. Now I need a miracle for one of my daughters. If a family member falls ill or undergoes a serious surgery for example, you can promise the Virgin to make the pilgrimage if that person makes it out okay. The little trapeze artist died instantly. Prayer can be public or personal, spoken or silent. Cristina Campo and the Monsters of Traditionalism, Why the Pope Praises Modernist Architects, The Schismatic Trads Were Right? Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. He prays during critical events in his life and he prays before ministering to people in need. Please keep in touch and let us know how it goes. Soon after they arrived the acrobats set up their poles and ropes and were eager to perform to the delight of the villagers that evening. Thank you OFELIA Herrera Soloya. The Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church located in San Juan, Texas, United States. The spectators were dazzled by it all and couldnt stop applauding. Every donation, no matter how small, is welcome. Bliss Mfg. Please help us to be more like Jesus, who is our model and friend, who loves us so much. Ana Luca had fetched a tattered statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception to present it to the parents. Within minutes the faintest of stirrings rippled across the burial cloths. Do not be misguided children. The psalms are prayers we sing; they have been a part of the Churchs communal prayer since the earliest days of the Church. She did! And they have never stopped coming. One of their stops was San Juan Bautista Mezquititln, a small town in what is now the northeastern part of the Mexican state of Jalisco. In 1979 Martinez convinced the bishop of San Juan to allow the statue to come to California, and the statue left Mexico for the first time ever in 1980. The child was then brought back to life. To the astonishment of all the young performer sat upright and opened her eyes. Your email address will not be published. At the end of January and beginning of February each year a great pilgrimage occurs to the shrine and the city grows many times in size. Prayer to Our Lady of San Juan de Los Lagos We pray that you, most Holy and Immaculate Virgin of San Juan guide us throughout our life. Pedro Antes and his wife, Ana Luisa, were the chapels caretakers. The cookie settings on this website are set to 'allow all cookies' to give you the very best experience. But to step back a bit: one must wonder why the statue of Our Lady had become so unsightly: The reason, first of all, is its antiquity. The sanctuary's history begins in 1543 when Father Miguel de Bologna, a Spanish priest, brought a statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception to the village. Jesus is a model of prayer for us. The shrines services for the pilgrims were also expanded to include a Pilgrim House, cafeteria, retreat house, grade school, nursing home, and radio programs. No stranger to religious persecution under the Nazis and the Communists, St. Pope John Paul ll would have been acutely aware of the persecution in Mexico. - A Miraculous Medal (with detailed description), which was designed on the occasion of the apparitions of the Virgin to Catharina Labour in 1830 in Paris. Replica of the miraculous statue (impossible to photograph the original as it is encased by glass and much light). As the pastor of the nearby St. John the Baptist church (just steps away from the Cathedral-Basilica), he had a fervent passion for Eucharistic Adoration, Our Lady (particularly in her title as Nuestra Senora de San Juan de los Lagos), and the catechesis of children. 'Pray to Cihualpilli", Ana Lucia, who had great faith, told them, and they did so fervently. Dear Mother of Christ, model of the virtues and sweetness of heaven. The acrobats. In the 1970s, two hundred years after the completion of the new church, the Vatican declared the church to be a basilica. The new Shrine was dedicated on April 19, 1980. And sorrow swept through the audience like a tsunami. In 1972 the church was recognized as a basilica. Blessed are you among women; and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. The statue of the Virgin was installed in 1769 and the bell towers were completed in 1790. There, the acrobat met an unnamed artist who completely redid the statue, even giving it elegant clothing and an elaborate golden Byzantine-type crown. Ana was particularly devoted to the statue of Our Lady and called itCihuapilli(Lady). We read about Adriana Bastida, who thanked our Lady on May 21, 2006; she fell and fractured her cranium and is all cured. And also about Margarita Perez from San Felipe, who thanked Our Lady in December 2005 for curing her sick husband. Above the image are two angels of silver, supporting between them a silver banner with the Latin inscription in blue enamel: Mater Immaculata ora pro nobis (Immaculate Mother pray for us). And yes, this church is a gift shop if you need something for that special someone. The circus was coming to town! Beautiful testimonies and comments. He made plans to build a parish church on the site of the destroyed Shrine and build a bigger church to serve as the Shrine on the grounds north of the former Shrine. The parish priest gave him permission to take the statue to the regional capital. Home Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, Texas, United States. He was taken prisoner by the revolutionary soldiers and beaten, scourged and bludgeoned. We ask this through Christs intercession, Our Lady of Guadalupes intercession, St John Paul IIs intercession and all saints in heaven who pray for us now and at all times in life! A family of trapeze artists had just arrived in town, en route to Gaudalajara. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. And then the unthinkable happened. Between the early 17th century and the middle of the 19th century a pilgrimage fair was held each year on November 30 to celebrate the original installation of the statue in the shrine. The parents quickly unwrapped the cloth to discover the child well and unharmed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Online Christian Articles and Information Hub. The devotion carried into the U.S., where, in 1949, Reverend Jose Maria Azpiazu of the San Juan, Texas parish received permission to foster a devotion to Our Lady of San Juan. You May Also Like. It is also a national shrine under the direction of the Diocese of Brownsville . She told me everything about the church & showed me the, Your email address will not be published. O Mary, you who came to participate in the holiness of Mary, our Mother, be for us a refuge from worldly passion, an example of faith, hope, and charity; grant that we may dedicate ourselves entirely to the attainment of our eternal rest. In addition to being very visual, this large devotions room is probably the most emotional part of the whole Basilica. Our Lady of San Juan was protecting her children at that moment. Once he reached the Bascilica of the Virgin he spoke to a priest about the man and if he could mention that he will be leaving the sack with him. We thank you for your love and care for us, especially during times of need. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J.). This year marks its first time back in LA since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The clowns. it got greater and began to spread across my chest and then through my body. Inside the church, upon a platform with an upturned crescent moon, stands the statue of the Virgin. 2021 OnePeterFive, Inc. All rights reserved. The Marian image comes from the shrine of San Juan de Los Lagos in Jalisco, Mexico, which draws some 6 million visitors each year. from Queens University and a Master of Education and Master of Divinity from the University of Toronto (St. Michaels). For centuries Christians have made pilgrimages with a spiritual purpose to holy places. Feeling pity for the grieving family, she exhorted them to have confidence in The Virgin, who could restore the child to them. They had developed a compound known aspasta de Michoacan, a mixture of cornstalk glue and orchid bulbs, which formed a lightweight and malleable substance, ideal for their purposes. Averaging more than one million visitors a year (20,000 pilgrims a weekend), it is one of the most visited shrines in the United States. Buy laminated prayer cards (SKU contains letters RR) in any quantity and any combination, and every fifth card is free of charge. She stands less than 2 feet tall on a crescent moon, as is typical of many representations of the Virgin Mary throughout Mexico, as an unconscious tribute to the memory of the pre-Columbian moon goddess Coyolxauhqui. The child has been dead for hours! Ignoring him, Ana Luisa placed the statue on the little corpse. Looking from the portico at the right side entrance to the basilica, onto the adjacent street. The gentle flicker of each flame is a radiant reminder of why religion brings us together. There are also contemporary ways to pray. The National Conference of Catholic Bishops designated Our Lady of San Juan del Valle a national Shrine on March 24, 1998, and the following year on June 12, 1999 Pope John Paul II designated it as a minor Basilica. Spanish missionaries had placed a small image of the Immaculate Conception in the church of San Juan de los Lagos upon their arrival here in the 16th Century. In the Scriptures, Jesus prays often, morning and night. In the end, we all want the same, for friends and loved ones to live healthy happy lives, to end suffering and sadness, for goodness to triumph over evil and for the light from above to shine down on this Earth. Then we will let you go! Never! It is ultimately our Heavenly Father who performs the miracles according to His holy will at the request of Our Lady. Im so confused by that. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. But to step back for a bit: one must wonder why the statue of Our Lady had become so unsightly: The reason, first of all, is its antiquity. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. as we approached the room, my girlfriend stopped to talk to her brother and I continued. Wait! Copyright Foundation Marypages Design. You know, because it is a prayer, it is a Thanksgiving, it is a petition, it is a family praying there. A family of aerial acrobats was traveling through the towns and villages of rural New Spain. It was a beautiful small medallion of Our Lady of San Juan in color.I still have her.She let me know that she is always with me. My girlfriend asked what was wrong and I told her that I was feeling like my dad was talking to me but I didnt know what hes saying. Franciscan Friar Venerable Miguel Bolonia had brought the exquisite statue to the town in 1542. In the 1970s, George Martinez revived the devotion in San Francisco, California, and a monthly Mass was celebrated. The devotion carried over to California by people from Jalisco. The Virgin's hands are joined in prayer, she has long brown hair, and wears a white gown and blue robe. It is a great sin to pray to any other gods rather than the Living God. Then we will let you go! Never! I know the room you speak of. San Francisco de Ass, Atotonilco El Alto, Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, http://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/BoletinAmericanista/article/view/13144/, Roman Catholic Diocese of San Juan de los Lagos, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Our_Lady_of_San_Juan_de_los_Lagos&oldid=1135004965, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bremer, Tomas S. "Nuestra Seora de San Juan de Los Lagos," in, Fernndez Poncela, Anna M. (2008). Prayer is communication with a God who loves us and desires to be in relationship with us. I visited the church in San Juan, TX many years ago with my family. Please do not forget those in need of healingphysically, emotionally or spirituallyand work through us to bring them comfort and peace. He asked if he could borrow the Virgin statue to have it refurbished in Guadalajara. And I also want can be done to correct this broken promise made by my mother in law. I explored every room and was amazed of the history. The crowd stared spellbound. The older man was carrying a sack of cloth which the other took and carried it for him. As a young priest, he had founded a school for the training of catechists. This market fairincreased in popularity until the middle of the 19th century, after whichtime attendance declined. The fair was terminated in the early 1900s, althougha fiesta is still held. You can also donate to our bank account at Rabobank:IBAN / SEPA number: NL19RABO0136467849 / BIC number: RABONL2UXXX to Foundation Marypages, 6942 WX Didam, the Netherlands.