Phoenix, Ariz., Aug 4, 2009 / 14:18 pm
The Knights of Columbus is preparing to host a Congress on Our Lady of Guadalupe which not only will feature top experts on the miraculous image, but will also focus on its spiritual meaning for the world today.
The first International Marian Congress on Our Lady of Guadalupe will be held August 6 – 8 in Phoenix, Arizona and will include presentations by experts on Our Lady from the U.S. and Latin America.
In 1531, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego, a poor Indian from Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City. She identified herself as the Mother of the True God and left an image of herself imprinted miraculously on his tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth. Although the tilma should have deteriorated within 20 years, it still shows no sign of decay over 470 years later.
The congress is co-sponsored by the Diocese of Phoenix and the Instituto Superior de Estudios Guadalupanos, and will be followed by the family-friendly Guadalupe Festival on August 8.