Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego: The Historical Evidence

Father Eduardo Chávez is well known and respected throughout Mexico and the Vatican for his critical and relentless research on our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. But Our Lady of Guadalupe is not just for Mexico. As John Paul II stated in Ecclesia en America, she is the mother of all America. I am personally delighted that this all important work will now be available to English-language audiences. This critical and comprehensive study is a rare combination of scientific rigor and inspirational wisdom. It allows the reader to enter into the America of the 1500's and experience not only the apparitions of Our Lady, but also the life and surroundings of her messenger, Juan Diego. This book makes a great contribution to the scholarly study of this all-important devotion that marks the spiritual beginning of our New World.

This book is a very readable compilation of the scientific evidence and rigorous official investigation. If there was any doubt about the historicity of the event or about the identity of St. Juan Diego, this book clarifies their authenticity. The numerous documents cited by Dr. Chávez in this book substantiate the facts and offer a "taste" of indigenous culture, of religious controversy, of Church history in Mexico, and of Mary's and Juan Diego's mission to spread the good news: Jesus is our Savior. The English translation of Dr. Chávez's work is definitely a valuable addition to all the sources that we have on this important historical, cultural, and religious event.

The historical evidence of the Guadalupan Event transforms the world because it appeals to the heart. However, appealing to the heart does not imply neglecting fact or reality. The history of this event and of its cultural effects, as related in this book, illustrate the marvelous encounter between the Lady and Juan Diego in both realistic dialogue and in mystical reflection. Such a book may be an invitation to go back to the roots of modern civilization in the Americas.

Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego have inspired and empowered generations of Mexicans on both sides of the border. Eduardo Chávez's well-documented and highly readable account of the Guadalupe event is a significant contribution to both Mexican and Chicano Studies.

Those who seek an insider view into the canonization of St. Juan Diego will find this book illuminating. For those interested in the ever evolving fascination with Juan Diego and the Guadalupe event, it is indispensable.