At long last...the second and concluding part of my 2016 Marian pilgrimage story, which finds our intrepid author and merry band of pilgrims (Viviane and Jeffrey) headed to Mexico City for five days.
This was my first trip to Mexico and honestly, I was excited, nervous, overwhelmed and nervous (yes, I said nervous twice). I don't speak much Spanish (I can say hello, goodbye, and ask where the bathroom is), but I trusted my companion Jeffrey to lead the way.
When we landed, it was mid-day and frankly, beyond the hotel and dinner I don't remember much.
Over the course of a few days we visited the Presidential Palace, the temple ruins, a chocolate shop, several churches, Frida Khalo's house and ate fantastic meals. It was beautiful and wonderful and indeed, overwhelming. But going to the Basilica de Guadalupe was magnificent...beyond words.
First we pick up a friend of Jeffrey's...Angelita. Angelita is an 80-something, well traveled, high energy, faithful Catholic. She has a ministry of taking blessed tilmas with Guadalupe's image on them to the Philippines. She tells stories that people who are ill or have life troubles wrap themselves in the tilma and are granted relief and peace. She shows us a picture of her holding up one of these tilmas and placing it on the chest of Pope Francis. She then presents Viviane and I each with a tilma. WOW! Who is this woman?!? She speaks with authority and clarity about her mission in the world...to spread the love and healing of Guadalupe to everyone she encounters. I'd never met anyone like Angelita; she is a force to be reckoned with, as they say.
So after introductions, storytelling and the gifting of tilmas, Angelita informs us that she has hired a driver for the day, and the four of us (plus driver makes five) pack ourselves into a compact car and head to the Basilica.
Now it is worth noting that we are in Mexico City in July (translate that as hot and humid) and that Viviane is feeling under the weather...so 5 people in a compact car in Mexico City traffic was less than ideal. But I digress...
When we arrive at the Basilica, we arrive on the back side of the property. This is important to know for two reasons...it meant we avoided the crowds of pilgrims that come via the patio, and it was a direct route to the gift store. While Angelita was at the "guest services" desk negotiating a visit with the Monseigneur, Jeffrey, Viviane and I stoked the local economy and supported the Basilica financially. Jeffrey and I were both deeply moved by stoles featuring the embroidered image of Our Lady on one side, and the words (in Spanish) "Am I not your mother" on the other, so we purchased said stoles with the hope of having them blessed before leaving.
When we emerged from our shopping excursion, Angelita was still in negotiations with "guest services". Three times she said, "We are here to see the Monseigneur" and three times guest services replied "he is not here." And then...
He appeared. Amidst the crowds. Monseigneur Diego. Like Jesus surrounded by the crowds pressing upon him, Monseigneur Diego made his way to us, and parted the crowd in order to embrace Angelita. He then greeted us with handshakes and words of welcome. I had seen Monseigneur Diego before on a video about the image of Our Lady that I had watched prior to my pilgrimage, and I found him sincere and kind in the video. In real life, he was generous, funny, and very faithful.
Monseigneur Diego whisked our little group of pilgrims through a doorway (which looked like a moving wall from a Scooby Doo cartoon...I never noticed the door there before) and into a hallway that was stark, white and lit with fluorescent fixtures overhead. Up we went in an elevator and arrived to another stark, white and poorly lit hallway. There in the hallway was a large metal door with a wheel for a "door knob"...kind of like a bank vault. Monseigneur stopped us there and said "This is where the Pope sits when he comes to visit. He has a private audience with Our Lady. We are able to turn the image around so he can pray with her." Wow. The Pope has been inside that little vaulted room and has an audience with Our Lady. I could feel my jealousy rising and the words came out of my mouth before I could think: "so can we go in there" I asked. With a gentle laugh, the Monseigneur responded "are you the Pope?"
From the hallway we were escorted to the sacristy. For readers at home who don't know what that is, it's the room where the priests dress before the service. It's also the place where Eucharistic vessels, Bibles and other such liturgical items are kept. So in we go. There, we find a life sized statue of Juan Diego, the indigenous man to whom Guadalupe appeared. And folded into his tilma are fresh roses, which are brought in and replaced daily. Monseigneur recounts the story of the apparition, switching between Spanish and English, and then invites Jeffrey and I to walk with him.
Out onto the altar we are led by Monseigneur Diego. In the congregation are about 1000 pilgrims who have traveled to see Our Lady and pay her homage. The altar area was huge; it almost felt like being a child among adult sized furniture. Taking us each by the hand, Monseigneur guides us to a place just in front of Her image and begins to pray. Because I lack fluency, I have no idea what is being prayed, but I looked at Jeffrey and he is in tears. At the end of the prayer, as we walked back into the sacristy, I asked Jeffrey what was said, and he replied, "we were prayed for and the prayer was 'may you look upon your people as she looks upon us'." In other words, look upon the people you serve with compassion, love and generosity.
It was the best blessing I have ever received.
Upon returning to the sacristy, Monseigneur blessed our stoles, gave us roses from Juan Diego's tilma, and took a photo with us. I will cherish that photo forever.
Gentle reader...there is so much more to tell of my visit to the Basilica...so stay tuned for "Pilgrimage part 3".