Blog Post

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, and the transfer of the image of the Virgin to the current shrine on October 12, 1976, Pope Leo has declared a special jubilee year.

EWTN News is reporting on the announcement, made by Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, primate archbishop of Mexico, stating that the grant was issued by the pontiff through the Apostolic Penitentiary. The Jubilee Year, which began on October 12, 2026 and ends on October 12, 2027, also coincides with the 131st anniversary of the pontifical coronation of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

With profound joy and gratitude, Cardinal Aguiar Retes extended an invitation to the faithful from all over the world to visit the Basilica this year.

“During this Jubilee Year, which will conclude on October 12, 2027, as granted by the Holy See, the faithful who visit the Sacred Little House of Saint Mary of Guadalupe with devotion and a contrite spirit, and who participate in a liturgical celebration or devote time to prayer in the Basilic may obtain a plenary indulgence for themselves or apply it to the souls in Purgatory provided they fulfill the usual conditions established by the Church (confession, Eucharistic Communion, recitation of the Creed, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father).”

Visitors to the Shrine will not only be able to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the New Basilica, but also the solemn transfer of the sacred tilma bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from its former location to the modern sanctuary of the Basilica.

Of special note is that this Guadalupan Jubilee Year coincides with yet another milestone in the Shrine’s history, that of the 131st anniversary of the Pontifical Coronation of the sacred image which was authorized by Pope Leo XIII in 1895.

The Jubilee will be more than just a celebration of buildings, but also of a renewal of love and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and her promise of maternal protection to all of humanity.

As Mother Cabrini’s Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus invite, “The Guadalupan Jubilee Year will be a year of spiritual renewal centered on Our Lady of Guadalupe, inviting Catholics to pilgrimage, conversion, prayer, the Eucharist, evangelization and works of charity as the Church prepares for the 500th anniversary of Guadalupe in 2031.”

The Basilica being celebrated is just one part of the long and miraculous journey of the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the humble hands of St. Juan Diego on the hills of Tepeyac in 1531 to the site of one of the world’s most exquisite basilicas.

The journey began during the apparitions when Our Lady instructed St. Juan Diego to convey a request to the Bishop Juan de Zumarraga to build a church on Tepeyac where the apparitions occurred. For the first few days after a miraculous appearance on the tilma of Juan Diego that convinced the bishop of its authenticity, the image was initially kept in the cathedral until being transferred to a small adobe chapel built near the site of the apparitions.

As devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe spread, the original chapel was enlarged and eventually replaced by a more substantial stone structure under Bishop Alonso de Montúfar in the 16th century. In 1622, a larger church was construction but deteriorating conditions and unstable ground necessitated yet another replacement. This led to the construction of a magnificent Baroque sanctuary in 1695 which was completed in 1709. This building was eventually elevated to the status of a basilica in 1904 and would house the sacred tilma for the next 267 years.

By the 20th century, however, with an ever-increasing number of pilgrims visiting the site, the old basilica was found to have suffered serious structural damage caused by the gradual sinking of Mexico City’s unstable soil. It was decided to build a safer and more sturdy building which led to the construction of the present-day Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Construction began in 1974 under the leadership of architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez. The design, with its circular design and sweeping roof allows thousands of worshippers to view the sacred image from everywhere in the interior. The new basilica was dedicated on October 12, 1976 and the tilma was officially transferred to its new home where it remains enshrined above the main altar.

The 50th anniversary of that historic dedication and transfer of the tilme is what will be celebrated during the Guadalupan Jubilee Year of 2026–2027.

As Cardinal Aguiar Retes invites, “There she continues to await and welcome each of her sons and daughters, reminding us: ‘Am I not here, I who am your Mother?’”

The announcement of this special Jubilee Year is an occasion of great joy for the Women of Grace® apostolate which was entrusted to the patronage and protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe at its founding on October 3, 2003.

Let us all join in the prayer of Cardinal Aguiar Retes for this holy year: “May Saint Mary of Guadalupe, Mother of the True God for Whom We Live, help us to make the most of this Jubilee and accompany us on this journey of spiritual renewal and conversion.”

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