The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1906-05-25
MEXICAN ECHOES
Guadalupe, the Hottest Shrine
of Mexico

Every country mas ltS historic In
terest and its legends. To derive the
greatest benefits from travel through
foreign land, knowledge of its his
torc points and of The attendant
legends is a necessity. The records of
the struggles OF the Republic of Mex
leo, Through its periods of blood. shed
and destruction to Its present, promi-
n ut, place in the arena of nations,
are teeming with lively Interest and
lovely legend.
AS soon as one leaves Ell Paso, every
stop along the Mexican Central route.
which runs tn ough the neart Of the
country, has its interesting legend or
historical point which the trainmen
are ready to point out, but one of the
prettiest as we'll as most remarkable
Of these legends, is that Of the church
of Guadalupe, which is builded on a
hill, la the little town of Guadalupe,
one of the many suburbs of the capital
city.
One Saturday morning In Deem
Der 1881, as JuaE Diego, pious In
dian, who lived in the little village at
the foot of Tepeyaco, was on his way
to mass, he was startled by the music
of sweet voices. He was greatly
frightened but looked up aud au
angel appeared, who babe him hear
what she had to say. 1t was, that be
should go to the Bishop and tell him
that she wished temple In her honor
to be builned upon that hill. The
Indian trem blingly listened and when
she had vanished went to the Bishop
and told what he had seen and heard.
The Bishop gave no credence to the
story and sent the Indian sorrowfully
away. He returned to where the
angel had appeared to him and found
her awaiting the Bishops answer;
she babe him come to her again.
On the following day Juan Diego
came again to the hill side, and for
the third time the vision appeared,
with the same message. The Bishop
still unbeleiving aed thinking 1t i'm
probable that such message would
be entrusted to this poor Indian sent
him away with the command to briug
some unmistable proof that what he
said was true, and at the same time
secretly dispatched TO servants to
watch him; but in some mysterious
way he became invisible and passed
around the hill alone, two the angel
who told him TO come again the next
day.
When Juan Diego returned to | is
house that day, he found that his
uncle Juan Bernardeno, was seriously
i'll. Early the next morning, the
man, being at the point Of death, Juan
Diego started to the village to call a
confessor. Fearing least he should be
detained by meeting the vision, and
his uncle die unconfessed he started
by another route. but behold! she
came down the hill calling him. Juan
told her of his uncle's need of con-
lessor bat she told him that the uncle
was we'll at that moment and for him
to gather flowers from the top of the
hill. Immediately he gathered flower
from the barren rocks where none
had ever grown before and she com
manded them'to be taken to the Bis
hopas the token she desired,
Joyfully the Indian wrapped the
flowers in bis tilma, a cloak made OF
fibre from the maguey plant, and de-
parted for the home Of the Bishop.
When he reached the place he drop
ped the flowers at the holy fathers
feet and upon the tilma appeared the
image of the Virgin Mary in the most
beautiful coors. The Bishop placed
the cloak with its miraculous picture
among the treasures OF the
church and the Indian returned home
finding that his uncle needed no con-
lessor but had been cured at the hour
when the Virgin spoke,
In 1882 chapel was built where
the roses sPraug up aud the tilma
with the holy imaged placed over its
shrine, within fourteen days after the
apparition.
10 1895, the existing church with II s.
hundreds OF daily worshippers al d
with its annual feast day observances
to which many thousands OF people
come from all over the Republic was
built; The arcned roof is surmounted
by a dome 125 feet from the floor aud
supported by massive Corinthian COL
umns. Around the chapel is a mas
sive silver railing upon a marble base
and the choir loft is Of carved mahog-
any and ebony, One enters the church
to see the famous tilma, which 10 q
heavy gold frame rests upon a magni-
ficent altar Of Carrara marble, but1n