This week you may have noticed a daily procession of the faithful carrying candles and pictures of the Virgin Mary. They parade our city streets for seven days prior to the 12th of December.

It is their belief that Our Lady appeared to an Indian peasant, just outside of Mexico City, during this week in 1531. This event has monumental significance to the Mexicans, who believe her appearance showed great love and care for the Mexican people. At that time, there was wide diversity between the Spanish and the Indian populations. Part of Mary's gift to all was the achievement of mutual respect between these peoples. Also at that time, the inhabitants here practiced a long-standing religion of human sacrifice. In less than 20 years following the Lady's appearance, 9 million persons had converted to Christianity. Today the church and the people attribute this conversion as well as an incredible list of miracles and cures, to Her divine intervention.

Yearly, an estimated 10 million visit her Basilica in Mexico City making this the most popular Marian shrine in the world. Because of people's strong belief in the story of Mary's appearance there, the Mexico City church is the most frequently visited Catholic church in the world, next to the Vatican.

To believers in need, Mary brings a message of hope. Many make promises to her each year as they pray for her assistance in their lives. Pope John Paul ll, visiting Mexico in 1999, declared December 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent. He then entrusted the cause of life to Mary's loving protection. He specifically placed in her motherly care the innocent lives of children, mentioning in particular, those who are in danger of not being born.