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I saw in the news today that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the Basilica of St. Mary of Guadalupe her visit to Mexico. I saw the photos on Catholic News Service, and recognized the rector of the basilica, Msgr. Diego Monroy Ponce.

Msgr. Diego Monroy Ponce delivers a homily at St. Augustine Parish Nov. 15, 2007.

I had the honor to speak with the monsignor when he made a visit to our diocese in November 2007. The story isn’t available on our Web site, so I thought I’d post it here on the blog.

Clinton visited Mexico to deal with the nation’s escalating drug-related violence.

My interview with the monsignor was one of the most memorable in my career. My wife gave me an authentic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which I see as soon as I wake up and it’s the last thing I see at night. Still, I sometimes feel like an outsider when it comes to Our Lady of Guadalupe. After talking to Msgr. Monroy, I felt like she was my mother too, even though I’m not Mexican. I can’t really express what that meant to me. Here’s the story:

Rector of Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica visits Phoenix

By J.D. Long-García, The Catholic Sun, published Dec. 6, 2007

As rector of the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico, Msgr. Diego Monroy Ponce sees miracles all the time. But they’re not the kind of miracles you think.

“Many times we see physical wonders — when a person is cured of cancer or arthritis, a person who was sterile and is now fertile,” the priest explained.

“But more often we see miracles of the spirit — liberations,” he said. “A person is liberated of hatred, of resentments, of anxieties, of loneliness — that’s where you find the meaning of life. That’s where you find God’s forgiveness.”

Msgr. Monroy promotes Our Lady of Guadalupe abroad so that, through her intercession, these miracles can take place elsewhere. That’s the reason why the priest, vicar general for the Archdiocese of Mexico City, inaugurated  a Scottsdale center Nov. 15 that will feature Our Lady of Guadalupe materials directly from the basilica.

Ibero American Arts — located at 14435 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 500 — will help parishes throughout the country celebrate the Blessed Mother’s Dec. 12 feast day.

“The message of the Virgin Mother isn’t just for Mexicans or for Hispanics. It’s for everyone,” said Eduardo Quiroga, who works with the center. He and his wife, Luz María, friends of Msgr. Monroy, regularly present workshops about Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego in Mexico.

Perfectly inculturated

Some 476 years ago, the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoazin, an indigenous Catholic, and requested a temple be built for her. To prove her appearance, Juan Diego presented the local bishop with roses.

The roses left at image of Our Lady on Juan Diego’s tilma, or cloak. The image, on display still today at the basilica, inspired mass conversions — some estimate nine million in 10 years.

Before she appeared, the Spanish had little success evangelizing. The Spanish “robbed, raped and brought diseases,” the monsignor said. “The indigenous peoples were disillusioned. The trauma of the conquest was terrible.”

So how was the Blessed Mother so successful? Msgr. Monroy quoted John Paul II, who said that the “Blessed Mary of Guadalupe” is an “impressive example of a perfectly inculturated evangelization.”

“The Virgin Mother spoke to Juan Diego with great respect, recognizing his dignity,” Msgr. Monroy said. She also spoke to Juan Diego in his native tongue, not Spanish. The Mexican priest pointed to replica of the original image of Our Lady of Guadalupe hanging in the Scottsdale center.

“That right there,” he said pointing to a four-petal flower on the Blessed Mother’s garments, “that’s the most important part of the image.”

The four-petal flower is one of the most important symbols in Aztec religious and cosmological thinking. It indicates the four cardinal directions and the four movements of the Sun.

The central location of the flower, also know as Nahui Ollín, represents Mary’s maternity. The flower signals to the Aztec viewer that Mary is the mother of the Aztec Sun Child, who is the author and giver of life.
“She is the mother of all,” Msgr. Monroy said. “She is Our Lady of life and she brings life to us by bringing us to Christ.”

The image is rife with other indigenous symbolism: her loose hair indicates she is pregnant outside of wedlock; the black ribbon at the top of her womb indicates she is a noble woman. Her face is mestiza, a union of the European and indigenous races. Her hands — one dark, the other light — also signal to the coming together of two cultures.

Through these symbols, the Blessed Mother evangelized the indigenous people in a way the Spanish conquistadors could not, Msgr. Monroy said.

Sharing the Blessed Mother

“Sometimes we Mexicans are proud because the Blessed Virgin came to Mexico. It’s true,” Msgr. Monroy said. “But we have the responsibility to share with the world the message that she brought us.”

To understand Our Lady of Guadalupe, you just have to think of your own mother, he said.

“The Fatima pilgrim goes to ask forgiveness and conversion. The Lourdes pilgrim goes to ask for health of the body,” Msgr. Monroy said. “In turn, the Guadalupe pilgrim encounters the kind mother.”

She told Juan Diego that she wanted a little house to “hear complaints, sorrows and troubles. That’s what a mother does,” he said.

“By appreciating what a mother is,” he said, “we can understand the Mother of Guadalupe — who is with us in times of light and darkness, sadness and joy.”

Msgr. Monroy shared his love of the Blessed Mother with St. Augustine parishioners during Mass Nov. 15.

“I know that many of you suffer because you are away from home,” he said in his Spanish-language homily. “But the Reign of God is before anything in our hearts.”

After Mass, the congregation held up crucifixes, rosaries and images of Our Lady of Guadalupe for Msgr. Monroy to bless.

“It’s important to share the veneration of the Virgin Mother with my son,” said Alma Arias, a St. Augustine parishioner. “It’s really a privilege to have [Msgr. Monroy] visit.”

During his visit, Msgr. Monroy also spoke with priests of the Diocese of Tucson about the inculturation of the Gospel.