The Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexican Catholics. She is tied with Mexican identity and is seen frequently around Greensboro. You may have noticed her picture on truck windows, on candles, and as paintings and wall hangings in Mexican restaurants. The above photo is of a front yard in a neighborhood near Pinecroft Road and the Four Seasons Mall. For a Mexican family, having a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe is an expression gratitude for life’s successes and joys, and a way to cope with infirmities and sorrows. See this list of prayers, if you are interested in learning more.

The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to an Aztec peasant, Juan Diego in 1531. The Basilica to the Virgin, located in a suburb north of Mexico City, has as many as 20 million visitors a year. The feast is celebrated every December and the local Catholic Churches with Mexican members hold ceremonies and celebrations. Here is an article in the News & Record about one such event in Greensboro. As for the family who built the above shrine, they must feel tremendous comfort returning from work every day and seeing the shrine. Likely, the family believes they have been helped by the Virgin and want to show their gratitude. In this yard, she sits at the top of a hill, as if watching over the whole neighborhood!

Happy Sunday!