I am back from Mexico and I feel like a new man. Just ask Joy, my wife. I feel like Our Blessed Mother prayed to Jesus for me in such a way that a gigantic “negativity” boulder just rolled off my back.

I’m even more excited about life, our marriage, and our children. I see things in a new light. I literally spent hours sitting in front of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and I think the Holy Spirit did a lot of work on me. I also made two new promises to God through her and if these favors are granted, I plan to return to Mexico City again.

Also, I prayed for you! Repeatedly, I looked into our Blessed Mother’s eyes and prayed, “Please pray for all the good people who read the blog and listen to the podcast and are part of NSTI. Lift their intention to Jesus.” I carried you all with me in your heart. Your intentions, are now her intentions” “Am I not here, I, who am your Mother?”

Here is the itinerary of the pilgrimage and then I will post some photos below. If you are receiving this post via email, sometimes your email provider (eg, gmail) will block the images. You want to click “Always display images from this email address” and that should do the trick. Here is where we went!

1. Infant of Prague Parish in Mexico City
2. Pyramids of Mexico (including the 3rd largest pyramid in the world where they once performed human sacrifice – prior to Our Lady of Guadalupe!)

   

3. Saint James Church – Where Saint Juan Diego was baptized and attended Holy Mass.

   

4. The Virgin of Ocotlán in Tlaxcala, Mexico. The Virgin of Ocotlán appeared in 1541 (10 years after Guadalupe) to another native also named Juan Diego (different from Saint Juan Diego). She blessed the water there and a miraculous statue of her was found inside a hollow oak tree. This region was also an early outpost for Franciscan missionaries.

   

5. San Miguel del Milagro – the site where Saint Michael appeared to a native named Diego Lazaro in 1631 (exactly 100 years after Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531). I brought back some holy water from this well for my family and a couple of friends at my parish who asked for it.
   
6. The Cathedral of Mexico City

   

7. Saint Dominic’s Parish in Mexico City
8. The Guadalupe Museum (this is a must – a major highlight of the pilgrimage)

   

9. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe:
   
   1. The Old Basilica (where the tilma was before 1976 – it now has perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
   2. The New Basilica (where the miraculous tilma is now – holds 50,000 people inside)

      

   3. The Church on the top of Tepeyac hill

      

   4. The Tiemplo Pocito (a round church built over a sulphur spring at the foot of Tepeyac hill)

And here’s a photo with three of our New Saint Thomas Institute Members who were on the pilgrimage. Shelly, Jeanne, (Our Lady of Guadalupe in the distance), Taylor and Brandon:

I learned a ton about Our Lady of Guadalupe while I was there. I thought I already knew a good bit, but I literally knew nothing. I am definitely going back again and I want to take my wife Joy with me next time. It would be great if you could join us! Maybe we can organize an New Saint Thomas Institute pilgrimage to Guadalupe! We will do everything with an eye to the supernatural and spiritual, plus a good measure of “POD”.*

Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!

Taylor

* = “pious and overly-devotional”