SAN DIEGO — More than 100 faithful, representatives of the Diocese of San Diego, participated in a pilgrimage July 27 to Aug. 3 to Mexico City to encounter Our Lady of Guadalupe. A sampling of pilgrims shares their reflections.
Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido
Diocese of San Diego
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City is a place of encounter: an encounter with God, with the Virgin Mary, and with one another.
The shrine is one of the most visited Marian ones in the world. When you arrive, the first thing you notice is the people — thousands of pilgrims coming from different regions of Mexico and from all over the world. And the first thing they do is go to Mass. Our Lady always leads us to her Son, Jesus Christ.
After Mass, pilgrims join a constant river of people moving toward the back of the basilica. There, they catch a glimpse of the original tilma of St. Juan Diego, where Our Lady left her miraculous image nearly 500 years ago. St. Juan Diego brought the tilma to the bishop as the sign he had requested. The bishop and those with him encountered Our Lady through that image — and today, millions continue to encounter her there every year.
Our Lady continues to intercede for her children day and night. The shrine is a place where we bring our hopes, our struggles, and our prayers, trusting in God’s mercy through the intercession of our Blessed Mother.
But Guadalupe is also a place where we encounter one another.
While praying before the Blessed Sacrament in the Old Basilica, I was praying especially for my nieces and nephews, young adults who have been away from the Church. I was asking God to renew their faith.
Suddenly, a young woman sat in front of me with her mother. I watched as her mother gently touched her hair, kissed her, and told her how much she loved her. The daughter smiled, perhaps a little embarrassed, but I saw the deep love between them. I thought of my own family, and I felt moved by the Holy Spirit.
I gave the young woman a rosary and said, “God loves you. Our Lady loves you. And the Church loves you.”
Yola Arguilla
Diocesan Commission for Filipino Catholics
My pilgrimage to Mexico was a meaningful and unforgettable spiritual journey. Visiting Our Lady of Guadalupe, the cathedral, Holy Family Church and other churches and museums helped me deepen my faith and appreciate the rich Catholic history and devotion of the Mexican people.
My encounter with Our Lady of Guadalupe was especially meaningful. Standing before her sacred image, I felt a deep sense of peace, comfort and gratitude. I was reminded that Mary is a loving mother who always leads us closer to Jesus. I offered her my prayers, intentions, family and loved ones, trusting in her maternal care and intercession.
Throughout the pilgrimage, I experienced God not only in the beautiful churches and sacred places, but also in the prayers, faith, and devotion of the people I encountered. The journey gave me time to pause, reflect and listen to God in a deeper way. I realized that a pilgrimage is more than visiting holy places. It is a journey of the heart — a time to renew my faith, surrender my worries, and draw closer to God. I pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe will continue to guide, protect and bring me closer to her Son, Jesus.
Father Chris Bongato
Vicar for Ethnic and Intercultural Communities
This was my first diocesan pilgrimage. The buses were filled with people of all different cultures, coming together in their one faith in Christ and their wanting to know more about Our Lady of Guadalupe.
We got to know the history of Our Lady as we visited many sites; and we learned and sung Marian hymns offered to her as if to prepare the souls of the faithful to actively participate. We prayed the rosary together in different languages and I could see us during meals or conversations just sharing our different cultures but also our joyful faith together.
One moment that stood out for me was when the Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe started. I was so close to the tilma, the closest I’d ever be. And in my mind, I could just hear over and over again, “Am I not here, I who am your mother?” A question posed towards San Juan Diego and a question that marked above the main door entrance. It was a clear sign for me of Our Lady’s love and prayer for us. And it is a moment I will continue to take deeper into prayer.
Alejandra Diaz
Diocesan Pastoral Center
The first time I visited Mexico City and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was in 2010. On that occasion, I was there on vacation and because I was not close to my faith at the time, visiting her was not a priority.
Now that I am very close to my Catholic faith, I wanted to see her this time with a different set of eyes: eyes of love, faith, hope and much excitement!
Needless to say, this time around I was filled with much emotion knowing we were in the presence of Our Lady!
I knew Bishop Pulido assigned me to serve as a reader in one of the Masses during the pilgrimage, but I definitely did not expect to serve at the main altar of the basilica. The feeling of being very close to her as I stood in front of the congregation delivering the readings overwhelmed me with so much emotion; it brought tears to my eyes. It is an experience I will cherish eternally!
Lee Hulburt
St. Brigid Parish
Our motivation for going on this pilgrimage was primarily about my (deacon) husband’s great interest in Our Lady of Guadalupe. We also thought going with a group the first time would be an easy way to access everything without being Spanish-speakers, and it definitely was.
My experience of going to the basilica, meditating on the apparitions and finally beholding the tilma was profound. I felt Our Lady’s presence and did not want to leave.
During our faith-sharing late in the pilgrimage, a few other women lamented the difficult and disappointing relationships with their own mothers, and I readily identified with that. What was remarkable was that we had each perceived healing instances from these lifelong wounds. As my aging mother becomes more childlike and helpless from dementia, I am necessarily needed to be “mother” to her. I’m so grateful for the accompaniment Our Lady of Guadalupe has offered me, as a conduit of God’s grace, enabling me to regard my mother with a tender love and care that was not explicit for much of my childhood.
Christine Le
Holy Family Catholic Church
I was blessed to come on this pilgrimage with my cousin and aunts. To be honest, I came with no expectations. I knew that we would be visiting Our Lady’s image on the tilma, but before this pilgrimage, I did not have a close relationship with Mother Mary. I realized on the trip that it was actually my first time praying to her, as it felt unfamiliar at first.
I had a conversation with a fellow pilgrim, and he said something that stayed with me: “Who can say no to their mother?” Those simple words helped me better understand Mary’s role in our lives and how she may bring us closer to her Son.
Through conversations with fellow pilgrims, praying the rosary together each day on the bus, and seeing Our Mother’s image on the tilma firsthand, I learned to ask for Mary’s intercession. We ask her to help us trust in the Lord and find rest in him, for he is our Shepherd.
