Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (c. 1474–1548)

Biography

Juan Diego was an Indigenous Christian of central Mexico to whom the Virgin Mary appeared at Tepeyac in December 1531. She addressed him with tenderness, asked that a church be built, and sent him to Bishop Zumárraga. Juan Diego obeyed with humility despite obstacles and his concern for a sick uncle. As the sign requested by the bishop, roses appeared out of season and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was found on his tilma. Juan Diego later lived near the shrine, serving pilgrims and sharing the message he had received.