Be part of history as Bishop John Dolan celebrates Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on Tuesday, July 28 at 1 p.m. Phoenix time by joining the liturgy via livestream on the Diocese of Phoenix YouTube and Facebook channels. The basilica is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, welcoming over 20 million pilgrims annually. It is also where the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Phoenix diocese, resides.
In 1531, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared several times to St. Juan Diego, a humble 57-year-old indigenous peasant, commissioning him to have the local bishop build a basilica in her honor. As a sign to the bishop that she truly was the Mother of God, her miraculous image appeared on Juan Diego’s tilma, or outer garment. A church was soon built on Tepeyac Hill where Our Lady originally appeared to Juan Diego, and later the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was constructed nearby.
The Mass is significant because it is taking place during year two of Bishop Dolan’s seven-year pastoral plan on evangelization called TILMA — Testifica, oh Iglesia, a la Luz del Misterio del Amor (Testify, O Church, to the Light of the Mystery of Love). His plan, inspired by Our Lady of Guadalupe, was developed to foster a renewed culture of evangelization in the diocese leading up to the 500th anniversary of her apparitions in 2031.
Bishop Dolan visited the basilica in March 2025, and this will be his second visit.
“Seeing Our Lady up close moved my heart,” Bishop Dolan said of his first visit in his pastoral letter for TILMA year two. “It was a profound experience that brought me to tears and it was there, under her mantle … that I placed each one of you in the care of the patroness of our diocese.”
Now, he’ll be able to delve even deeper as he celebrates the holy Mass in this sacred space.
“I’m thrilled and humbled to be celebrating Mass in the basilica where the tilma is present,” said Bishop Dolan. “The Blessed Mother under her title Our Lady of Guadalupe is an example to each one of us, especially in these seven years, as she is the greatest evangelizer in all of the Americas.” He was referring to the more than 9 million conversions that took place within just 10 years of her apparitions.
“Juan Diego’s encounters with the Blessed Mother not only changed his life but changed the trajectory of the whole of Mexico and the Americas,” he continued. “I will be praying for everyone in our diocese during Mass, that through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, each one of our lives may be changed forever and that we may go forth to bring Christ to our parishes, neighborhoods and families.”
Brett Meister, the director of Communications for the diocese and an award-winning photographer, will accompany Bishop Dolan and share images next week of this historic trip.
