Hubby walked the Camino de Santiago, a second time. He completed 500 miles by mostly walking, taking the bus and finally the train to Madrid, Spain from September 6 to October 5, 2022.
He wrote, while in Leon, Spain:”Just got done with cathedral of Leon. The cathedral was done in 50 years! So style is much simpler but very consistent. Unlike other gothic cathedrals in Europe. But just as ornate. Smaller, too, so much more manageable. Interesting fact: the Lady of Leon, a version of Virgin Mary adopted by the city of Leon (attached photo), is, as you can see, a very pregnant Virgin Mary, resting her hand on her belly. .”
Photo and caption by Enrique de la Cruz in Leon, Spain, in September 2022.
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The second photo was taken by Prosy Delacruz on November 12, 2022. Pregnant Virgin Mary, painted by Miguel Cabrera, inside San Frisca Cathedral in Taxco, Mexico. I saw this today at mass. What a glorious experience to have convergence with hubby Enrique de la Cruz.
She saw the pregnant Virgin Mary, painted by Miguel Cabrera, inside San Frisca Cathedral in Taxco, Mexico.
What a glorious experience to have this spiritual convergence with hubby Enrique de la Cruz, focused on the pregnant Virgin Mary, in Leon, Spain and Taxco, Mexico City. The convergence finds a home in our pandemic realities as our next grandchild will be born in the next few months and that bump is exactly the bump in my daughter’s right now. What a beautiful miracle of life to be given to us come January 2023. Thank you for this my dear Holy Spirit! #Pilgrimages
“Tlaxcala is a small state in central Mexico, east of Mexico City. In the south, the Cacaxtla archaeological site displays colorful Mayan frescoes, while the nearby ruins of Xochitecatl include ancient pyramids. Northeast of here, the state capital of Tlaxcala features notable architecture like the Palacio de Gobierno de Tlaxcala, with an orange-tiled facade and murals depicting local history,” according to Google.
This is where The Lady of Ocotlan appeared to this Indian, Juan Bernardino, amongst pine trees.
10 years after apparition to San Juan Diego, in 1541. Juan was going down from San Lorenzo to the river to get water to sick folks, dying of cholera.
The Lady took him to this place with water, and after giving the sick folks these healing waters, they got well and went to the San Francisco Cathedral, Franciscans listened to him and he guided them to the River. Forest fire, huge pine tree, but it was not burning. Juan Bernardino took them back, image of Our Lady inside pine tree and took it to the village of San Lorenzo. The altar boy did not like that they put her in the main altar. So, the altar boy switched her with San Lorenzo and reinstalled San Lorenzo in the main altar. She was put her in a box and the altar boy slept on top of the box, and the next morning, the statue of Our Lady of Ocotlan was back to main altar and has been there permanently.
This 18th century Church of Ocotlan is made of azulejo tiles, aka talavera tiles, the blue tiles on the facade of the San Sebastian Church. They also used teja red tiles, aka Texas, Tejas, red tiles, part of Spain, since 1846. This is where the incorruptible body of San Sebastian was found, soft flesh to touch.
When he was previously exhumed, the body was uncorrupted, but in the process, the neck was broken, reattached and the body remains encased in this Church.
San Sebastian became a priest at age 72, many miracles of healing were attributed to him. Though he accumulated wealth by trading, by the time he became a priest, he gave all of his wealth away.
Paintings hang depicting the miracle of waters of healing, six paintings in Ultra baroque style. Notice the dagger in Mary’s heart, depicting sufferings.
The miracle of healing using the well waters is depicted in these paintings. Half of the group went down to physically examine the well and drank from it. They walked up the 160 steps to get back to where we were.
Half of the group went to the adoration chapel. A pilgrim, a deacon was supposedly directed by a woman dressed with silver accessories around her waist. When the deacon from Albuquerque, New Mexico, for 25 years now serving two churches and delivering homilies, he went after the lady to re-confirm the directions, but she had left. She had told him to visit the adoration chapel where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed. Finding his way to the adoration chapel, he had a mystical emotional experience where he cried profusely, and felt that Jesus was telling him, “Here I am.” #Pilgrimages
Waking up to birds chirping early in the morning and very temperate weather where we don’t need umbrellas and just our vigorous legs to visit basilicas is a huge gift.
Why – folks ages 45 yo to 88yo pilgrims are actively breathing, ready to take on the day’s journey, and seeing all immersing with respect to the local Mexican culture, is another gift – the gift of seeing fully the local folks’ loving and responsive treatment of 38 pilgrims of diverse backgrounds: Chinese, Filipinos, Latinos, Polish, Caucasians, whose ethnicities are different from local Mexicans: food, mariachis, dances, mole, carnitas tacos and memey ice cream served on the shell of sweet potato shell, orange ice cream served on half orange peels and coconut ice cream on brown coconut shells.
In turn, American-based pilgrims seem to see fully the locals’ expressive art, the deluge of fresh flower offerings in the churches that we all visited, some located in less than rich neighborhoods, their inspiring depth of faith is a gift of improving our relations as human beings to one another.
It was the reverence and the expressive love of Indians, Mexicans and early Spaniards: Franciscans, Augustinians and Dominicans who were in Mexico and built these churches for the neighborhoods, as well as for the nuns. Some of these churches are now used for educating students.
Ricardo Gomez, our tour guide, informed us that Our Lady of Guadalupe has been responsible for 5,000,000 Indians and Mexicans were converted to the Catholic faith.
We progressed from seeing the simple Indian chapel where apparitions happened to miraculous healings of communities suffering from cholera through the well water, to magnificent gilded churches, ornate ceilings, sculpted saints, and angels numbering the total beads of the rosary, including wall-sized, signed original paintings inside the priests’ room and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s dressing room, when she is taken to be dressed for a procession.
Might our desire to deepen our faith, express our gratitude, say our remembrance and healing prayers be emerging from feeling the weight of grief from serialized deaths, back to back as if mucked up waters of the river, clogged by trauma, when we experienced 6,600,000 deaths from #CoronaVirus in the last three years, worldwide?
Contrast that to how we feel now, the jolt of positive and sacred divine energies as we listen to more healing stories of miracles in this pilgrimage, where we are pilgrims on a spiritual retreat headed by Spiritual Director, Fr. Joel Bugas.
This pilgrimage is well planned given the progression of sacred experiences to reach a summit or was that a result of our collective prayers for this pilgrimage to be animated by the Holy Spirit, for our prayers to be answered through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the communion of saints and angels with the townsfolk? Faith was definitely at the center of these folks in Mexico during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
As one reflects by sharing the spiritual journey and revelations from three days, we are grateful for the depth of spirituality, another gift of grace we are feeling.
Celina shared that yesterday was her brother’s death anniversary, whose name was Abel. She also felt her dad, one who was such a man of love to his family, accompanying her. His name was Domingo and lived a life of simplicity. What a gift it must have felt for her as she passed by many images of Santo Domingo. He got a rosary from the Blessed Virgin Mary, a gift from her.
If I am to be honest, I too was so moved, felt so overwhelmed and cried tears as I prayed, realizing my privilege being here. I texted the images from the churches we visited and lighted candles from once-estranged sisters, one with cancer, and they all texted back with loving messages. What a gift of generosity!
We even had synchronized masses attended for that day, they attended mass in Southern California, while I attended mass in Puebla, Mexico. Rachel saw a dove linger, while I saw birds hovering by the facade of the Church being renovated. Serendipity perhaps?
Fr. Joel Bugas’ homily was exceptional inside Nuestra Senora Basilica de Ocotlan.
He defined for us, our collective mission, as prophets to convey the message of the Lord, a message of love.
“God created the world out of love. Amongst us, around us, to know that He loves us now and forever. We can’t deny his love for us, He gives to us, daily, to show His love to us. But, we keep asking. We fail to follow commandments. How many, he asked? It took a while to say 10.
The Jewish people have 613 laws, what to dress, how to speak to a man, a woman, what to eat. It is so strict to follow. When Jesus came, He talked about love, forgiveness and kindness.
They didn’t have GPS then, but they looked at the skies and winds to guide them, the same understanding to follow God’s love.
Purification of the soul takes effort, takes conversion, takes education. Embrace gratitude to God, pinch my face, [I am ] able to see, able to think of our loved ones despite being away from us.
Pilgrimage – offer our sacrifices, offer what we do, whenever we enter the Holy Ground. God never left us. God is ever present now and forever and sent many prophets for us. As we progress in life, we are invited to prepare, ask intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, even the presence of angels that the love of God never ends.
There’s a lot [given to us], there’s a lot of chances: have faith, confidence, and trust in God, let Him take care of the needs of the world and never abandon prayers, even if you just bring one more soul to heaven, faith of our family members to never be removed from God.”
When you hear that exceptional homily, followed by visits to several sacred grounds, one of which was described by Yucatan Times as: “”The Chapel of the Rosary, housed in the Temple of Santo Domingo, in the city of Puebla, is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces of the New Spanish Baroque in Mexico. Built around 1690, this architectural jewel was considered in its time as the “eighth wonder of the world”.
Its interior, to the left transept of the complex, has a Latin cross, although with very short arms. The three theological virtues can be admired in the vault, framed by thick foliage; and in the dome, Grace can be seen, accompanied by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and a group of 16 Dominican saints.
In the upper part of the chapel walls there are six large canvases by the painter José Rodríguez Carnero, with themes alluding to the “Gozos de la Virgen”, while in the lower part of the walls there is a beautiful “lambrin” or panel of talavera type tiles. In the transept there are other paintings with themes also related to the life of the Virgin, as well as another one of great size that crowns the apse of the chapel and that is dedicated to the Glorification and Triumph of the Rosary.
The golden charm that surrounds the visitor in this place earned the space the title of “reliquary of America” by Pope John Paul II, who, during his first visit to national territory in 1979, had the opportunity to admire it and fall in love with its beauty.”
Question at the table? Why is it that we didn’t know about this 8th wonder of the world? Or that craftsmen of Indian and Mexican descent were super-skilled, patient, and gifted artisans who built sustainable structures, sacred basilicas of worship, sometimes understated as chapels or churches, when they are actually magnificent basilica works of sacred arts, lasting several centuries now.
How far will we now extend and share what we all saw and how we feel about the healing miracles of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Ocotlan, and Beato de San Sebastian? Whose soul will we take up to heaven, with us?-@Prosy Delacruz #Pilgrimages
“Tlaxcala is a small state in central Mexico, east of Mexico City. In the south, the Cacaxtla archaeological site displays colorful Mayan frescoes, while the nearby ruins of Xochitecatl include ancient pyramids. Northeast of here, the state capital of Tlaxcala features notable architecture like the Palacio de Gobierno de Tlaxcala, with an orange-tiled facade and murals depicting local history,” according to Google.
This is where The Lady of Ocotlan appeared to this Indian, Juan Bernardino, amongst pine trees.
10 years after the apparition to San Juan Diego, in 1541. Juan was going down from San Lorenzo to the river to get water for sick folks dying of cholera.
The Lady took him to this place with water, and after giving the sick folks these healing waters, they got well and went to the San Francisco Cathedral, Franciscans listened to him, and he guided them to the River. Forest fire, a huge pine tree, but it was not burning. Juan Bernardino took them back, the image of Our Lady inside a pine tree, and took it to the village of San Lorenzo. The altar boy did not like that they put her on the main altar. So, the altar boy switched her with San Lorenzo and reinstalled San Lorenzo in the main altar. She had put her in a box, and the altar boy slept on top of the box, and the next morning, the statue of Our Lady of Ocotlan was back on the main altar and has been there permanently.
This 18th-century Church of Ocotlan is made of azulejo tiles, aka talavera tiles, and the blue tiles on the facade of the San Sebastian Church. They also used teja red tiles, aka Texas, Tejas, red tiles, part of Spain, since 1846. This is where the incorruptible body of San Sebastian was found, soft flesh to touch.
When he was previously exhumed, the body was uncorrupted, but in the process, the neck was broken, and reattached and the body remains encased in this Church.
San Sebastian became a priest at age 72, and many miracles of healing were attributed to him. Though he accumulated wealth by trading, by the time he became a priest, he gave all of his wealth away.
Paintings hang depicting the miracle of waters of healing, six paintings in Ultra baroque style. Notice the dagger in Mary’s heart, depicting suffering.
The miracle of healing using the well waters is depicted in these paintings. Half of the group went down to physically examine the well and drank it. They walked up the 160 steps to get back to where we were.
Half of the group went to the adoration chapel. A pilgrim, a deacon was supposedly directed by a woman dressed with silver accessories around her waist. When the deacon from Albuquerque, New Mexico, for 25 years now serving two churches and delivering homilies, he went after the lady to re-confirm the directions, but she had left. She had told him to visit the adoration chapel where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed. Finding his way to the adoration chapel, he had a mystical, emotional experience where he cried profusely, and felt that Jesus was telling him, “Here I am.” #Pilgrimages
“Another account is the Codex Escalada, dating from the sixteenth century, a sheet of parchment recording apparitions of the Virgin Mary and the figure of Juan Diego, which reproduces the glyph of Antonio Valeriano alongside the signature of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún. It contains the following glosses: “1548 Also in that year of 1531 appeared to Cuahtlatoatzin our beloved mother, the Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Cuahtlatoatzin died worthily”[39]- Wikipedia
There were five apparitions, and the fourth one was the miracle of Juan Diego’s dying uncle. When asked why Juan Diego did not show up at their appointed meeting with the Virgin Mary, Juan Diego responded he had to take care of his sick uncle by requesting the town’s folk healer, but it did not work.
The Virgin Mary, in a gift of the apparition, asked the fifth time and told Juan Diego that she wanted a chapel built for people to pray. Juan Diego responded that the Archbishop requested to provide proof of the Virgin Mary’s existence. Juan Diego was heard but not believed and rebuffed by the Archbishop and his staff.
After being investigated fully by the Franciscans, Juan Diego, an Indian, went to show the site to the Franciscans. “But a phenomenon occurred that stopped and astounded them. The pine trees were lit with huge flames without burning, especially a large pine tree.” They marked that tree and went back to the convent, given how late the night was.
“The next day, they went back early. Inside the marked pine tree, they found the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and feelings of excitement and indescribable awe.” Source:”Our Lady of Ocotlan, Tlaxcala.
The local tour guide, Ricardo Gomez, described the fifth apparition as Juan Diego being asked by the Virgin Mary to go to Tepeyac Hill, where he was to gather Castilian Roses. Juan Diego intentionally went the other way, opposite where the prior apparitions happened, to avoid Virgin Mary.
Juan Diego said no roses grew there, only cactus bushes. Still, he went and saw various colors of Castilian roses.
To fulfill the Virgin Mary’s wish, Juan Diego harvested the roses and used sisal cloth to wrap them into. Juan Diego was accompanied by a witness, per the Archbishop’s request.
Shortly after, the colors of the roses dropped out, and the colors formed an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Juan Diego’s shirt.
This photo was taken inside the Indian indigenous chapel. As soon as I saw it, I wept. I asked St. Juan Diego to intercede for us and for Our Lady of Guadalupe to grant us world peace, to allow Ukraine to be the spiritual center of development again for a thousand Christian students yearly, the healing for my sister, Rachel, and classmates @Linda Rozales and @Elsa Azote.
Fr. Joel Bugas celebrated mass here and gave a meaningful homily, despite 14 hours now of travel from New Mexico. He gave Communion to 38 pilgrims from Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He reminded us that we are pilgrims, not tourists who would prioritize shopping, complaining, and photos. We are here to pay and give respect and reverence, and for me, gratitude for Our Lady of Guadalupe has lifted two huge burdens in my life.
I was so grateful for the gift of healing for my loved one years ago, whose back surgery was successful, and the gift of conversion from a very hostile, toxic workplace to a more conducive workplace from my white male superiors 15 years ago.
The day ended at 17 hours with a beautiful mariachi band; some of us even danced, while others, like tourists, complained.
Still, the best example of grace, humanity, and a joyful attitude was Fr. Joel and our tour organizer, Lou. Anytime I join Lou’s pilgrimage, she takes us from three stars to five-star places. A tonight is a decent place with birds chirping in the morning, and when you open the window, it looks out to the patio of green plants.
What a glorious encounter of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego. Gracias!- Prosy Delacruz
What a sunny, temperate, blue skies day spent with a holy priest, Fr. Joel Bugas, who welcomed me, heard confessions, celebrated mass, and then had lunch with Myrna Samson and me. I consider Myrna my family here in New Mexico. The skies mirrored my experience with them.
The church is a 106-year-old Church that was closed for some time. A holy priest took over: mass attendance grew, confessions were held almost daily, a prayer garden was erected with five-foot-high statues of St. Pedro Calungsod and St. Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila and tribute plaques to remember the dead in one’s family; a storage room padlocked for decades was opened, and each room is being restored to become offices, a deacon’s room, and another kitchen. The bell tower is being restored, and it was the original one erected 106 years ago.
A new front gate was installed, and the front door was refurbished after being vandalized.
There’s a special energy in this Church, undertaking restoration projects at a feverish pace. Fr. Joel also paints, restores artifacts, and is preparing the Virgin Mary statues he has collected for an upcoming Marian exhibit in 2023.
During the pandemic, he created beautiful paintings of Sacred Hearts, ten total
Inside, it felt like a Sacred Art Gallery Museum, and so so beautifully done. What a strategic visionary priest to have the community empowered by him and God to help out with projects inside the Church. He also leads Marian Pilgrimages and visits to different sites where Saints lived.
His pilgrimages manifest many miracles, he will not discuss any of that as he is quite humble, but the parishioners shared these marvels: being able to say mass at St. Peter’s womb reserved only for bishops; being able to use the rdd missal used by Padre Pio and to say mass in that chapel; mass celebrated at Notre Dame chapel reserved for local priests; being able to pray the rosary with fellow priests at Our Lady of Fatima, and mass in 2017 in front of his favorite saint in Poland, Our Lady of Chestosowa, also known as the Black Madonna, “Our Lady of Częstochowa, is a venerated icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland.” #Pilgrimages
