The Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the cloak worn by St Juan Diego, an indigenous man to whom Mary appeared in 1531 near Mexico City. According to the tradition of the Church, the image of Our Lady was miraculously imprinted on his cloak after he gathered roses as a sign for the bishop. This sacred image has since become one of the most important devotional images in the Catholic Church and a powerful symbol of faith and evangelisation.
On a recent visit to Mother of God Church in Sheffield, members of the Chaplaincy Team were privileged to take part in a special event centred on the travelling replica of the Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Joining us were students from St Theresa’s Primary School, All Saints School and parishioners from the local community.
Before Mass, we were led in praying a decade of the Holy Rosary, helping us to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration and to reflect on the example of Our Lady.
The day the continued with Mass celebrated by Fr Michael and concelebrated by Fr Peter. Following Mass, we listened to an engaging and informative presentation delivered by two ladies who are accompanying the replica tilma on its journey around the country. They shared the remarkable story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the significance of the tilma of St Juan Diego, helping us to deepen our understanding of this important devotion.
A particular highlight of the day was the opportunity to view the replica cloak itself, which was on display in the church. We learned that the replica has touched the original tilma in Mexico, and special permission has been granted for blessings to be imparted through the replica. This made the experience especially meaningful for those of us present. Many of us took our prayer cards that were available, and were able to touch them against the glass surrounding the replica cloak as a sign of prayer and devotion.
There was also an opportunity to spend time in prayer and reflection before enjoying our packed lunches alongside students from All Saints School. Before returning to school, we visited a local Italian café for refreshments, giving everyone the chance to share their thoughts and experiences from the day.
The visit was both enlightening and inspiring, providing a valuable opportunity for faith formation, fellowship and reflection.
Here are some of the things that our students said about the day:
“We went to the Mother of God church today and we started with Rosary before Mass. After Mass, we had a small break and we walked around the church taking prayer cards. After that, we listened to a talk about Our Lady of Guadalupe, a short summary about how in 1531, a miraculous image of Our Lady, appeared on a cloak of a local peasant, called Juan Diego in Mexico. Mary said to Juan “ Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow of protection?” Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you”. After the talk, we wrote prayers and put them in the prayer box. I really enjoyed the day and had a memorable experience.” A Y8 student
“We went to the Mother of God church for Mass and afterwards, we listened to a talk about the story of St Juan Diego and the history of the cloak and what is made from. Suzanne gave us some blessed medals. I really enjoyed it and I would like to do it again next year. A Y7 student
“Today I went to the Mother of God church and when we arrived, we prayed a decade of the Rosary together. There were some primary children there as well and students from All Saints school. We had Mass and then after, we listened to a talk and walked around the church looking at the displays and touching the glass of the replica cloak. We were all given a piece of paper to write down prayer petitions and then we put our prayers in the prayer box.” A Y7 student
“Today, we went to the Mother of God church and it was wonderful. We prayed the Rosary and then we had Mass. We listened to a talk about the cloak and the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was a great story and really interesting. Afterwards, we had lunch and refreshments.“
