Friars draw closer to Our Lady of Guadalupe and one another in Mexico
As he stood before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Br. Luis Guzman-Martinez, OFM, couldn’t help but think of all who came before him to that very same spot: Generations of pilgrims, carrying hopes and struggles, gratitude and prayers.
Now, accompanied by his brother friars on a recent pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it was Br. Luis’ turn to bring his life and vocation before Mary.
“Having to feel the presence of our Lord in the womb of our Most Holy Mother, reflected in the image on the tilma, was just so moving,” he said. “It’s a moment that I want to remember and keep deeply.”
The visit was part of a September pilgrimage to Mexico City, an opportunity for ongoing formation for friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe co-organized with Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs. Through site visits, prayer, Mass and reflection, the friars encountered more deeply the spirituality of the province's patroness and the story of her appearance to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac.
Mary’s presence became particularly embodied for Luis through this encounter.
The Old Basilica, left, and New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe are seen from Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City during an earlier Franciscan pilgrimage. The New Basilica houses the tilma bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (Photo courtesy of Br. Keith Warner, OFM)
A mother who comes close
“Being at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe made my relationship feel much more personal,” Br. Luis said.
Standing at the site associated with Mary’s apparitions helped him to see her “not simply as an image or devotion, but as a loving mother who continually guides me and everyone toward her Son, Jesus.”
What remained with Br. Luis was the closeness at the heart of the Guadalupe story: Mary meeting Juan Diego where he was, offering words of compassion and pointing beyond herself toward Christ. “I was constantly reminded of Mary’s words of compassion and her desire that we not be afraid,” Br. Luis said. “Our Lady invites me to trust God more, especially when I do not know what lies ahead.”
That remained after the pilgrimage. Br. Luis said Guadalupe reminded him that God is always “close, loving and constant” amid the ordinary rhythms and uncertainties of his own life. In this realization, he found a call to entrust his life, ministry and concerns more fully to God, while noticing God's presence in the people and experiences he encountered on his journey.
His Franciscan vocation added another layer of meaning. Br. Luis reflected on the role Franciscan Bishop Fray Juan de Zumárraga played in the Guadalupe story and what that history might ask of him as a Franciscan priest today.
Listening to Mary, Br. Luis discovered, means listening more closely to God.
Franciscan friars approach the sanctuary inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City during an earlier pilgrimage. The original tilma of St. Juan Diego bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is displayed above the main altar. (Photo by Br. Octavio Duran, OFM)
Brothers on the same journey
He also discovered that the sense of presence he found extended beyond the shrine.
The friars deepened their bonds of fraternity throughout the pilgrimage. They traveled and prayed together. They shared meals. They celebrated daily Mass at St. Joseph Chapel in the basilica. And they found space for more personal conversations – and the laughter and fellowship that came with it.
Ordinary moments, then, became another expression of pilgrimage.
“This pilgrimage reminded me that we are not walking our vocation alone,” Br. Luis said. “We are called to walk together and encourage one another, to pray for each other and support each other in our mission.”
His fellow friars became more than brothers in ministry – they were “brothers on the same spiritual journey.”
“I was left with much more appreciation for each of them,” Br. Luis said. “We created memories that will continue to strengthen our community long after we return home.”
Five laypeople from Br. Luis’ community at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Joliet, Illinois, joined him – providing the opportunity to share the experience of culture, pilgrimage and prayer with more than his fraternal brothers.
The tilma of St. Juan Diego bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is displayed inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. (Photo by Br. Octavio Duran, OFM)
Carrying Guadalupe home
Br. Luis says he knows the pilgrimage cannot end when the pilgrim leaves the shrine.
He envisions the friars returning to their ministries with a renewed sense of “faith, fraternity and mission” and a desire to continue learning about Our Lady of Guadalupe and the richness of Mexican faith and tradition.
Perhaps the encounter can shape how they serve.
“I hope it inspires them to serve with the same tenderness, humility and closeness that we see in Our Lady of Guadalupe,” Br. Luis said.