THE ARCHBISHOP of Mexico City has led prayers for the Indian saint who witnessed Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Marking the first celebration of the feast of St Juan Diego, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera celebrated Mass on December 9 at the Basilica of Guadalupe for the humble 16th century Indian who "became an evangeliser for his brothers".
It was on December 9, 1531 that the Virgin of Guadalupe first appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on Tepeyac Hill. Some 30,000 pilgrims gathered at the basilica for the Mass. Some of the faithful arrived in trucks decorated with flowers and ponchos to announce their faith in the Blessed Virgin.
An estimated 1.5 million people gathered for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.
