The Catholic bulletin., 1920-05-08
A PERMANENT MIRACLE,

On December 12 the Church of
Latin-America celebrates the feast of
our Lady of Guadalupe, which is the
patrOnal feast of those countries. The
shrine that is erected in the little
Mexican town takes it's name from
a picture. The picture makes the
shrine and occasions the devotion.
The tradition concerning this picture
is, according to the new Roman
Breviary, long standing and con-
stant." The story runs:
A neophyte named Juan Diego,
about 55 years of age, was hurrying
down the hill towards Mexico City
assist at Mass On his way the
Blessed Virgin appeared to him and
told him to see the Bishop of Mexico
City and have a temple built on the
spot where he stood. She appeared
to him at the same place that evening
and again on Sunday evening, and
asked the Bishops answer. The sim
pie neophyte gave the message to
the Bishop, who did not seem to un-
derstand. He questioned him and had
him watched At last he told the
neOphyte to get some sign from the
Lady who appeared to him. The neo-
phyte asked him what sign he should
that to the Lady.
An uncle of Juan Diego was ill at
the time and on Tuesday following
he was running to st. James convent
for a priest. In order to avoid the
apparition, he slipped around where
the chapel now stands. The Blessed
Virgin appeared to him and said:
What road is this thou takest, SON."
The Blessed Virgin assured Juan that
his uncle would recover and told him
that she should be called Holy Mary
of Guadalupe. She bade him go again
to the Bishop. The simple neophyte
asked for sign and she told him to
go up to the rocks and gather roses.
1t was neither a place nor a season
for those flowers. He found roses,
and gathering them into his long coat,
he came back. The Blessed Virgin
then arranged the roses and babe
him keep them untouched and un-
seen until he reached the Bishop.
When Juan reached the Bishop and
unfolded his cloak the roses fell out
and he was astonished to see the
Bishop and his attendants kneeling
before him. The explanation was that
on the poor cloak was glowing a life
size picture of the Virgin Mother of
God just as he had described her.
Many critics have questioned this
permanent miracle Though the picture
has been examined by artists and
scientists, no one is able to explain it.
The cloak is made of vegetable fibre,
consisting of two strips about seventy
inches long by eighteen wide, and
held together by weak stitching. The
seam is visible up the middle of the
figure, turning aside from the face.
Painters have been unable to explain
how the colors were produced on this
fibre. They declare that the material
was not only unfit, but unprepared for
colors. They marvel at the apparent
OIL, water and colOring in the figure.
1tiC nv" Si-llhS llutS anu tuo dDuU-
dant gold draw forth their admira ton.
Ihe figure is perfect in proportions.
Various commissions have investi-
gated and none has been able to
explain Guadalupe on natural grounds.
There is plenty of sworn evidence
corrobating the traditional account of
the miraculous origin of the picture
Our late Holy Father Plus x. per-
mitted Mexican priests to say the
Mass of Holy Mary of Guadalupe on
the twelfth day of every month for
prayer before copy of the picture.
Our Lady of Guadalupe was made the
national patron of Mexico by Pope
Benedict XIV, who ordered that De-
cember II be kept in that country as
holy day of obligation.
-ReD.B. X. o 'RetHp.