Discover the History of the Statue of Our Lady of Ocotlán and the Apparition of Mary
In the spring of 1541, in the city of Tlaxcala, Mexico, an Indian named Juan Diego Bernardino witnessed the apparition of Our Lady of Ocotlán. This was just 10 years after the famous apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. It was during this time that smallpox struck this and surrounding towns in Mexico, killing many of the villagers.
On this day Juan Diego Bernardino was on his way to take a pitcher of water from the river to his sick family. As he was returning home from the river, he came to the top of a hill and saw a vision of a very beautiful lady. She was our Lady. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She asked him where she was going. He told her that he was bringing water to her family that she was dying of the plague. She asked him to follow her and she would give him healing water that would heal everyone who drank it.
Our Lady led Juan Diego downhill through a pine forest to a spring of water. Our Lady of Ocotlán then ordered him to give the water to the sick and anyone who drank it would be healed. She also told him to guide the Franciscan friars and that they would find an image of her in the pine forest. She was told to tell the friars that through this image she promised to send great blessings. And she was to tell the Franciscan friars to take her image and place it in the church of San Lorenzo. Juan Diego did as Our Lady told him. He gave the water to his family and they were cured. Other villagers went to the spring and drank the water and were also miraculously healed.
Juan Diego then addressed the Franciscan friars and led them with a group of villagers into the pine forest. The trees in the forest were on fire. But, in the middle of the burning trees there was an ocote tree that was not touched by the fire. Something commanded the Franciscans to open the tree. When they split the tree open with an ax they discovered the image of Mary carved into the wood. How glorious! All the witnesses fell to their knees in awe and honor. The Franciscans and villagers then removed the image of Our Lady of Ocotlán and raised it on their shoulders as they processioned it to the Church of San Lorenzo. The image was placed on the altar of the church where it remains today. The statue of Our Lady of Ocotlán is carved from a single piece of wood from the ocote tree. He stands 5 feet tall.
A Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ocotlán was built. Pope Clement XIII declared a holiday to celebrate Our Lady of Ocotlán to be celebrated on a Sunday in July. The faithful Christians, settlers and pilgrims honor this apparition with a procession with the Image of Our Lady of Ocotlán on their shoulders as it happened in the first procession when the image was revealed for the first time centuries ago.
