Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-11

woven as coarse sscking. The pic
ture was ~venerated, closely guarded
in the bishops chapel, and soon was
CARRIED professionally TO the prelim-
mary shrine erected upon the spot
where the Virgin Mother first ap-
peared before the neephyte.
The cloth upon which this picture
appears, still retaining its original
luster and coloring, Is evidently
made from vegetable tiber-prooably
from the maguey plant, much used
for coarse weayes In that period.
1t consists of W. strips, about sew
enty inches long by eighteen wide,
held together by weak stitching.
The seam is visible up the middle
Of the figure, turning aside from the
face. Hundreds Of artists have exam
med 1t, but cannot explained the col
ors or the manner in which they wen
applied. They have asserted that
the cloth was unfit and unprepared
for painting, and have marveied at
the wonderful coloring which no art
can reproduce. They marvel at the
flower-like tints, the gold effects, all
OF which have endured through the
centuries.
Artists have found the proportions
perfect for a maiden Of fifteen. The
figure and the attitude are one OF
advancig. The chief colors are deep
gold in the rays and stars, blue
green in the mantle, and rose IN the
lowered tunic.
Sworn evidence was given at va
rious commissions OF inquiry corro-
borating the traditional account Of
the miraculous origin and influence
\ Of the picture. Some wills connected
with Juan Diego, the neophyte, and
his contemporaries, were accepted as
documentary evidence. Vouchers were
given for the existence of Bishop
Zumarraga's letter TO his Franciscan
| brethren in Sprain concerning the APP
| partitions. His successor instituted q
canoical iquiry in 1856 on a sermon
in which the pastors and people were
/ abused for crowding to the new
shrine. In 1868 the historian, Bernal
DiaZ, a companion Of Cortez, refers
to Guadalupe and its daily miracles.
The clergy. regular and secular. has
been remarkably faithful to the de-
votion toward Our Lady of Guada-
lupe, the bishops especially foster
II AAE Tvs even " AIN tANNAh - MANAA%
a profession Of faith in the miracle
as an occasional obligation. The pres
ent pontiff Is the nineteenth pope 70
favor the shrine and its tradition;
and Pope Benedict XIV decreed that
Our Lady Of Guadalupe should be the
national patroness of Mexico, and
that December IL should be made q
holiday Of obligation.
Pope Benedict XIV also ordered the
picture 70 be crowned in his anne
and composed a poetical inscription
for il. Pope Plus X recently permit.
ted Mexican priests 10 say the Mass
Of Holy Mary of Guadalupe on the
twelfth day of every month, and
granted i~ndulgences which may be
gained in any part Of the world fol-
PRAYER before a copy Of the picture.
The preliminary shrine, erected II
1882 Is still e~xtant, but one Of th'
most beautiful shrines in the worlt
has been erected over il in honor o.
Our Lady Of Guadalupe. The origina
shrine served FOR 90 years, a large
one was erected in 1922, and the pres
ent shrine was completed in 1903. II
1904 il was created a baseillica, anc
the presiding ecclesiastic In called a.
abbot. A recent change in the shrin'
itself has been a complete interio'
I renovation in gorgeous Byzantine.