Knights Encourage Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Digital Age

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As millions of Catholics in North and South America prepare to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12 and restrictions for religious gatherings remain in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Knights of Columbus has created a newly designed web hub showcasing the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and her miraculous image. The page, www.kofc.org/guadalupe, will go live Dec. 9, the feast of St. Juan Diego.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously left on the cloak, or tilma, of St. Juan Diego ? a native Mexican ? in December 1531. It has been revered ever since and is today one of the most recognizable religious images in the American hemisphere.

The hub includes links to the Knights of Columbus produced documentary Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message; a look at the artwork associated with Our Lady of Guadalupe; information on the Knights of Columbus' Silver Rose program which honors Our Lady of Guadalupe and her message; and information on the apparition to St. Juan Diego.

"Our Lady of Guadalupe's message of unity and hope is as important today as it was in 1531," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "Because many of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations are altered or cancelled due to the pandemic, it is our hope that this new web hub will help to bring the history, the science, and most important, the message of hope and unity in her son that Our Lady of Guadalupe brings to each of us."

Anderson in 2009 coauthored the New York Times bestseller Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love, with Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, who oversaw the Cause for Canonization of St. Juan Diego. The book details the message and meaning of the image ? credited with converting millions of Native Americans in the sixteenth century ? and the relevance of the message today on the American continent.

The Knights of Columbus' devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe reached a milestone with the chartering of their first Mexican council as the "Guadalupe Council" in Mexico City in 1905.  Since then, the Knights have done much to spread Our Lady's message, including co-sponsoring a U.S. tour of the Archdiocese's tilma relic in 2003. The Knights also held their first-ever International Marian Congress on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2009, which concluded with the 22,000-person Guadalupe Festival in Phoenix, AZ.   

About the Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is one of the world's leading fraternal and service organizations, with 2 million members in more than 16,000 parish-based councils. During the past year, Knights around the world donated more than 77 million service hours and $187 million for worthy causes in their communities. The organization also offers extensive life insurance services to members and their families, resulting in more than $114 billion of life insurance in force. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors offers investment services to individuals and institutions in accord with Catholic social teachings. From helping children in need, to providing wheelchairs for the disabled, to helping stock food banks, to offering top-rated and affordable insurance products to its members, the Knights of Columbus has supported families and communities for more than 138 years. 

SOURCE Knights of Columbus