Life

Our Lady of Guadalupe did so much for her people in Mexico that, in 1960, the Columbian Squires, a youth organization of the Knights of Columbus, wanted to give something back to her.
The group of young men in Knights of Columbus Council 2312 in Monterrey, Mexico, came up with the idea of running a rose to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Monterrey, Mexico. The rose was chosen to commemorate Juan Diego and the miracle of the roses, an important part of the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The first rose was a natural rose and was blessed by Bishop John C. Cody of London. It was then flown to New York where it was received by Grand Knight Joseph Thomasen, who in turn, took it to Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart. Mr. Hart then shepherded the rose to Dallas, Texas. There, Texas State Deputy Jack Collerin received the rose and took it to Laredo, Texas, where it was finally given to the Squires from Monterrey, Mexico, at the International Bridge in Laredo. They ran the rose from the International Bridge through Sabinas Hidalgo N.L., Mexico, to Cienega de Flores and on to the Basilica in Monterrey, Mexico, on December 12, 1960.
The Squires were so enthused by the success of this effort that they wanted to invite other Squires from around the world to participate. They called on Squires from Texas and Ontario to join them. The Canadian Squires asked that the journey of the rose begin in their home and move from there through the United States, finishing at the Basilica in Mexico.
After a year, the first rose had decomposed, so a group decided to make a bronze rose that would not age. When the Squires of Circle 660 in Monterrey heard of the bronze rose, they decided to make a similar rose. Silver was chosen for this new rose because it is a precious metal of Mexico.
The first Silver Rose was blessed by Bishop Alfonso Espino Silva and sent to the Supreme Council headquarters of the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, CT. Both the Bronze Rose and the Silver Rose were received by Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart and were so admired by Archbishop Francis J. Spellman of New York that he kept them for a special Mass before they were flown to Texas to once again be turned over to brother Knights at the midpoint of the International Bridge.
After 1961, the program was conducted by the Knights of Texas and Mexico and the Our Lady of Guadalupe Province of the Fourth Degree until the mid-1990s, when it was adopted as a Knights of Columbus Supreme Council program. In 2001, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson expanded the Silver Rose program further. “[This is] a perfect program for the Knights of Columbus,” said Mr. Anderson. “Through it we honor not only Our Lady of Guadalupe and express the unity of the Order, but we also reaffirm the Order’s dedication to the sanctity of human life. It is to the Blessed Mother that we turn in prayer as we work to end the Culture of Death that grips our society. As we think in terms of ‘One Life, One Rose,’ it is most appropriate that we turn to Our Lady of Guadalupe who made known her will through Juan Diego and the miracle of the roses.”
Today multiple roses run along different North American routes from Canada to Mexico through 47 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces before all meeting in Laredo, Texas. This tradition spreads devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and embodies international brotherhood as jointly nurtured by these three nations.

Early on a cold Saturday morning (Dec. 9, 1531), Juan Diego, baptized into the faith as an adult in 1523, was on his way to assist at Mass about 2.5 miles from Tlatleloco, where there was a church. Suddenly he heard beautiful music and a woman’s voice calling to him from the top of Tepeyac Hill. At the top he saw a beautiful woman who revealed that she was the Blessed Virgin Mary. She instructed him to visit the bishop to tell him that a temple should be built in her honor at the base of the hill.
Juan Diego immediately went to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, who received him kindly but was reluctant to believe the story. Juan Diego returned to the hill to report his failure. The Lady told him to return to the bishop repeating the request.
On Sunday (Dec. 10) Juan Diego returned to the bishop who – after many questions – said he needed a sign before believing that it was really Our Lady who had appeared. Juan Diego relayed the message to the Lady who told him to come back on the next day, and she would fulfill his request. On Monday (Dec. 11), however, the uncle of Juan Diego became gravely ill, so he was unable to return to Tepeyac.
After a day of fruitlessly searching for someone to help his uncle, Juan Diego told him that he would bring a priest the next morning, so his uncle could make his confession and die at peace. Very early Tuesday morning (Dec. 12), rushing toward Tlatleloco to find a priest, he passed Tepeyac Hill. Thinking it better not to let the Lady interrupt his errand of mercy, he decided to go around the other side of the hill. But the Lady came down the hill to meet him.
After listening to his explanation for not keeping the appointment, she told him that his uncle would not die of the sickness and that he was healthy. (That same morning, the Lady appeared to his uncle and cured him.) Juan Diego was greatly relieved. The Lady told him to go to the top of the hill and gather the flowers he would find there. Upon arrival at the top, he found in the frozen earth a miraculous garden of roses not native to the area. He gathered some and then brought them to the Lady, who arranged them in his cloak. She told him to take them to the bishop as the sign he had requested.
When Juan Diego arrived in front of the bishop, he opened his cloak, and the roses fell to the floor. At that moment, they both discovered something even more wondrous: a remarkable portrait of Our Lady was imprinted on the coarse fabric of the cloak.
In 1946, Pope Pius XII declared Our Lady of Guadalupe Patroness of the Americas, and in 1990, St. John Paul II beatified Juan Diego. On July 31, 2002, the late Holy Father visited Mexico City and declared sainthood of Blessed Juan Diego. Today the Feast Day of St. Juan Diego is Dec. 9. The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on Dec. 12, and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is still celebrated and visited by pilgrims year-round.