Today, the 12th of December, is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is one of the most widely venerated images in the Catholic world, as millions of pilgrims prepare to honour the patroness of the Americas. The date marks the anniversary of the 1531 apparition on the hill of Tepeyac, Mexico, where Saint Juan Diego was given the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his tilma, a traditional Mexican cloak.
The image of Our Lady is preserved in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and continues to attract huge numbers. According to the National Catholic Register, more than 20 million pilgrims visit the site annually, making it the most frequented Catholic shrine in the world.
