Christopher Magallanes was born in 1869 in the province of Guadalajara, Mexico, of devout parents who were poor farmers.
As a youth, he worked as a shepherd, but felt called to be a shepherd of souls. He entered the seminary at nineteen and was ordained at the age of thirty.
He worked as a parish priest in his hometown of Totatiche for two decades, and there also opened a carpentry business to help provide jobs for the local men.
When, in the first decades of the twentieth century, the atheistic Mexican government launched a merciless persecution of the Catholic Church, a new constitution banned the training of priests.
In 1915, Fr. Christopher opened his own small seminary in Totatiche where he soon had a dozen students.
Consequently, accused of trying to incite rebellion, Fr. Christopher was arrested on his way to say Mass, imprisoned and condemned to be shot without trial.
His few possessions he gave away to his jailer and he was executed on 21 May 1927 with another twenty-one priests and three lay Catholics. His last words were:
“I die innocent, and ask God that my blood may serve to unite my Mexican brethren.”
He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on 21 May 2000.
14 dozen beautiful roses to were delivered to Our Lady of Guadalupe this year on 22 February, Feast of the Chair of St Peter, on behalf of South Africa Needs Our Lady.
Our friends from America Needs Fatima, kindly organised this for us together with all their roses.
Below we share their feedback about the event:
A worthy mention to the florist Dona Ara, who had to source these roses from all across Mexico as the national supply had been depleted by Valentine’s Day. Unlike past years when it was sunny and hot, this year we were graced with cooler temperatures, rain and thunderstorms throughout the day. Yet, as our Blessed Mother often does, she smiled upon us, the clouds parted, the sun shone forth, and the brilliant roses dazzled the crowds of pilgrims making their Jubilee pilgrimage of Hope.
As is our custom, along with the presentation of the roses to Our Lady, we light a candle for each state in the U.S., beseeching La Virgen de Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn, for the total and complete victory over the sin of abortion in every state, from New York to California, and from Minnesota to New Mexico. Masses were also requested for the intentions of all ANF members and supporters.
Something Extra
In 1921, a young man named Luciano Perez Carpio placed a bouquet of flowers concealing a bomb before the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The subsequent explosion destroyed the marble altar and damaged a large crucifix. The miraculous image of Our Lady was completely unscathed. Following this event, a great devotion started, honouring Our Lord Jesus Christ under the invocation of “Santo Cristo Del Atentado” (roughly translated as Jesus Christ, Victim of the Violent Attack). This devotion consists of writing one’s intentions and placing them along with a stipend below the damaged crucifix. Many graces and miracles have been attributed to this devotion.
So, we took a moment to entrust all the ANF and SANOL supporters who sent roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe, asking Our Lord Jesus Christ to protect them, just as He protected His Holy Mother.
Damaged Crucifix at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Holy Hour
After presenting the roses and intentions to the Virgin of Guadalupe, ANF representatives were able to spend a holy hour in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament in the old Basilica for the intentions of ANF and SANOL members and supporters.
The Jubilee Year of HOPE
A special part of this year’s Roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe presentation is that it is a Jubilee Year.
Jubilee years have a long and rich history rooted in religious tradition and biblical precedent. The term “Jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word Yobel, which refers to the ram’s horn used in ancient Israel to announce the year of release and return.
Over the centuries, the Catholic Church began to regularize the practice of Jubilee years, though not every year was declared one. Beginning in the 15th century under Pope Sixtus IV, the Church decided to celebrate a Jubilee every 25 years. Later, Pope Urban VIII (1625) established the rule that Jubilees would occur at 25-year intervals unless a special Jubilee was declared.
The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City has been established as a Jubilee pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee Year. We were able to walk through the Door of Hope as we presented the roses to Our Lady.
Portico at the Shrine of OLG in Mexico-Jubilee Year Door 2025
A Mother gathering her children
As pilgrims gathered at the Shrine from all over the world, it was beautiful to see and sense their unity in the love and protection of Our Blessed Mother. For example, it was beautiful to see a small family of Aztec Indians dressed in their traditional cultural attire to pay homage to their Mother, who so many centuries ago brought their people to the True Faith.
Another beautiful sight was the group from the Colegio Guadalupe Victoria Monclova, Coahuila, that had come from hundreds of miles away on pilgrimage along with about 450 000 other people from different parts of Mexico. It is hard to describe the experience of seeing so many devotees honouring Our Lady with prayer, penance, song and dance.
During our days at the Shrine, we saw many priests, nuns and religious. The devotion of the laity and clergy was inspiring.
Indigenous family and the group from Colegio Guadalupe Victoria Monclova, Coahuila
Nuns at the Shrine
Roses were not only sent from devotees in the United States; the devotion of sending roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe is starting to spread. This year, roses and intentions came from Canada and as far away as South Africa. We hope there will be many, many more next year.
Thank You
We want to thank each and every one of you who sent roses and entrusted us with your special intentions to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Without your support and prayers, none of this would have been possible.
We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Dona Ara and her family team of florists for their dedicated work in creating the magnificent floral tribute to La Virgen de Guadalupe.
Dona Ara and her family of workers who put together all the beautiful rose arrangements.
Dona Ara and her family of workers
Going forward….
The struggle to protect the unborn continues; now, let’s end abortion everywhere, now and forever! Let’s intensify our prayers to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, Empress of Latin America, Queen of Mexico, Protectress of the Unborn, and demonstrate our profound desire to safeguard the unborn and end abortion once and for all.
So, if you would like to be one of the first to present roses to Our Lady on behalf of the unborn and place your intentions at the top of the list for 2026, click here now!
In the North Chapel of the beautiful cathedral of Santa Fe stands a little statue (scarcely one metre tall) of Our Lady holding the Child Jesus. It was skilfully carved by loving hands in Spain. Mary is clad in a richly embroidered dress, topped by a jewelled crown. Her regal countenance wears a serene, detached expression that is strangely impressive. This is Our Lady of Conquest, or La Conquistadora.
The statue of Our Lady of Conquest came to the new world in the care of the Franciscan missionary Fray Alonso da Venevides. She was installed with great ceremony in a church in Santa Fe. Over the ensuing decades, as often happens, the men living in the region did not practice their religion as they should. Mary appeared in a vision to a young girl, warning her that the colony would be overrun due to the loss of reverence for priests and the Faith.
In the year 1680 the local Indians rose up and attacked the Spanish. Twenty-one priests were killed, and the colonists completely driven out of the region. The statue was rescued from the burning church and taken back to Mexico with the colonists who escaped the wrath of the Indians.
It was not until the year 1691 that Don Diego de Vargas was sent by the King of Spain to attempt the resettlement of the city of Santa Fe. Like so many Spanish heroes who had accomplished seemingly impossible deeds during their lifetimes, he was as fervent a Catholic as he was a capable knight. Don Diego de Vargas carried with him the statue of Our Lady as he re-entered New Mexico. Although he had only a small force, he was able to peacefully negotiate a peace with the various Indian nations. He attributed his success to “the Sovereign Queen, Most Blessed Mary.” He is said to have vowed to build a chapel for her and hold a yearly procession if she would grant him a speedy and blood-less victory over the Indian, which she did.
Upon reaching his goal, however, the Indians refused to allow the Spanish colonists to return to Santa Fe. The Spanish under Don Diego were few in number, and they were forced to fight a numerically superior force.
The colonists prayed the rosary before the statue of the Blessed Virgin as the men engaged the Indians in battle. The fighting lasted all day, and it was not until evening when they reclaimed the city. Once again, Mary was credited for the victory, and to show her sovereignty, Don Diego placed an officer’s baton in her hand.
The shrine symbolizes a spirit of deep-rooted Faith and devotion which characterized the “Conquistadores” of this land. There is still a great deal of devotion shown to Mary at the Cathedral of St. Francis that includes processions, fiestas and other celebrations.
The statue was formally crowned by Cardinal Francis Spellman and in 1960 received a Papal Coronation.
As seen on https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-conquest.html
Juan Diego was born in Cuautlitlán – today part of Mexico City – in the year 1474 and given the name “Cuauhtlatoatzin” or “Eagle that speaks”. He was a gifted member of the Chichimeca people, one of the more culturally advanced indigenous groups living in the Anáhuac Valley.
In 1524, at fifty years of age, Juan Diego was baptized with his wife Maria Lucia by one of the first Franciscan missionaries to arrive in Mexico, Fray Pedro de Gante. His religious fervour, his simple artlessness, and his respectful but gracious demeanour are among his defining characteristics.
It is said that after their baptism, he and his wife, inspired by a sermon on the virtue of chastity, mutually decided to embrace this evangelical counsel by living celibately afterwards.
After the 1529 death of his wife, Juan Diego moved to be near his aged uncle Juan Bernardino in Tolpetlac. Thereafter, the pious widower was in the habit of walking to the Franciscan mission at Tlatelolco for religious instruction and to perform his religious duties. His frequent journeys took him close by the hill at Tepeyac.
The Apparition
At daybreak on Saturday, December 9, 1531, Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass as usual, when he suddenly heard the exquisite sound of many birds singing. The beautiful melody came from higher up the hill, and thinking himself transported to heaven, his whole being attracted by the sound, he let it draw him up the Tepeyac.
When the birdsongs suddenly ceased, he heard his name called in his native Náhuatl language and he beheld a beautiful young maiden. She called him to come closer and Juan Diego, “filled with admiration for the way her perfect grandeur exceeded all imagination,” prostrated himself in her presence. With unutterable sweetness, she revealed her identity to him “… the ever-virgin Mary, Mother of the true God who gives life and maintains its existence. He created all things. He is in all places. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth.” She asked him to go to the bishop in Mexico City, Don Fray Juan de Zumárraga, and to request in her name that a shrine be built at Tepeyac, where she promised to pour out abundant graces upon those who invoked her.
After some difficulty in gaining admission to the bishop, the humble messenger recounted the marvels he had witnessed and delivered the lady’s message. However, the prelate’s response was discouraging and Juan Diego left downcast and disappointed.
The Queen of Heaven was waiting for him at the top of Tepeyac on his return that evening, and casting himself down he told her of his heart’s sorrow at meeting with incredulity on the part of the bishop and adds: “I beg you, my Lady, Queen, my little girl, to have one of the nobles who are held in esteem, one who is known, respected, honoured, [have him] carry, take your dear breath, your dear word, so that he will be believed. Because I am really [just] a man from the country, I am a [porter’s] rope … a man of no importance: I myself need to be led, carried on someone’s back. That place you are sending me to is a place where I’m not used to going or spending any time in, my little Virgin, my Youngest Daughter, my Lady, Little girl.”
With great gentleness, she tells him that he is the one that must carry out this commission. And Juan Diego promises that he will return to the bishop the following day with her request.
Despite the obstacles posed by the bishop’s attendants, Juan Diego was again admitted into his presence. Don Juan de Zumárraga questioned the Indian kneeling before him thoroughly but remained unmoved by the man’s account. Not on his word alone would he believe, he told him, a sign must be given to prove that the apparition was indeed from heaven.
Undaunted by the prelate’s request, he returns to Tepeyac to convey it to Our Lady, who asks him to return in the morning that she might give it to him. During the night, however, Juan Diego’s sick uncle worsens and it is clear that he is dying. Shortly after midnight, his nephew sets off for Tlatilolco to summon one of the priests that he might confess and prepare for death.
The miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, given to St. Juan Diego.
Not wanting to meet the beautiful Lady, who would surely want to send him to the bishop with the “proof” he had requested, he hurried along, set on his task. But the Queen of Heaven came down to meet him and gently chiding him she asked, “What is happening, youngest and dearest of all my sons? Where are you going, where are you headed?” Humbling himself before her, he told her of his uncle’s grave illness and his need for a priest to assist him. She assured him that the illness was not grave and that he had nothing to fear on that account. Her solicitude filled him with joy and consolation: “Am I not here, I, who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you; do not let your uncle’s illness pressure you with grief, because he will not die of it now. You may be certain that he is already well…” And, as they later found out, his uncle became well at that very moment.
The Sign
Full of confidence, Juan Diego begged her to send him immediately to the bishop with the sign she had promised. The Blessed Mother told him to climb the hill and to pick the flowers that he would find there. He obeyed, and although it was winter time and the frost at that time of year was very harsh, he found flowers of many kinds, in full bloom. Astonished, he cut and gathered the fragrant blossoms and took them to Our Lady who carefully arranged them in his mantle – the rough-woven “tilma” worn by his people – and told him to take them to the bishop as “proof”. When he opened his tilma to show the bishop the profusion of blooms, the flowers fell to the ground, and there remained impressed upon his cloak an image of the Blessed Mother, the apparition at Tepeyac.
With the Bishop’s permission, Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a small hut near the chapel where the miraculous image was placed for veneration. Here he cared for the church and the first pilgrims who came to pray to the Mother of Jesus.
Death and Beatification
He died in 1548 and was buried in the first chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. He was beatified on 6 May 1990 by Pope John Paul II in the Basilica of Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Mexico City and canonized by him on 31 July 2002. His feast day is on December 9th.
