As the story goes, she appeared miraculously centuries ago offering hope to a campesino named Juan Diego. And now hundreds of years later her essence continues to extend strength, love, hope, and compassion. She is La Virgen de Guadalupe.
She is looked upon as the go-to entity for everything from prayers to someone who listens to your private thoughts – she is the ultimate comadre.
Latinas carry her everywhere, prayer cards in our wallets, we wear her image dangling from our ears with a few added sparkles, we light candles in her honor, we place a statue of her in our gardens to watch over our blooming roses, we honor her at the sanctuario in Chimayo, Nuevo México.
Our abuelitas needlepoint her beautiful brown face on heirloom pillows. Our grandfathers have placed her in their homes asking her to watch over and bring their sons home from the Korean and Vietnam wars.
She is the one we ask to protect our children. We pray with her to extend health and happiness to our elders and our families and friends. We ask her to comfort those in need. She is engraved in our hearts.
She is la madre de todos. So last year, when Fr. Benito Hernández of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in north Denver decided to build a wall over the church’s beautiful forty-year-old mural of La Virgen, painted by Denver artist extraordinaire Carlotta Espinoza – well, ay dios, let’s just say -- you know what all broke loose.
Our wonderful columnist Magdalena Gallegos first brought the story to light in our December 10th, 2009 issue, and Espinosa shared her inspiration with our readers that allowed her to create the beloved mural of Our Lady in the early 70s with tremendous support and guidance by Father José ...