In 1910, Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared Patroness of Latin America, and in 1945 Pope Pius XII declared Her to be the Empress of all the Americas. She appeared to an Indian convert named Juan Diego on December 9, 1531. She left a marvelous portrait of herself on the mantle of Juan Diego. This miraculous image has proved to be ageless, and is kept in the shrine built in her honor, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

On December 7, 2017, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued this news release:
“As we enter the Advent season and Christmas approaches, we are reminded of the unique role and importance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a unifier and peacebuilder for communities. We honor her role as protectress of families, including those families separated and far from home,” stated Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, Texas, and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration.

Client Mentor Sister Therese Cunningham, SHSp, described a little about the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the morning ESL class. La Posada shelters a diverse group of clients, many of whom had never heard of Our Lady of Guadalupe. One client from El Salvador spontaneously shared his story of how he became devoted in prayer to her. He believed strongly that she guided him on his journey to safety in the U.S. and finally to La Posada Providencia. He feels a deep sense of gratitude for all who helped him on his flight from persecution and those who are helping him now at La Posada.