Brief Chronology:
Early 1300s - Marian apparition and founding of shrine for Virgin of Guadalupe of Extremadura in Spain
1474 - Cuauhtlatoatzin ("Eagle that Speaks"), later known as Juan Diego, is born at Cuautitlan in the Texcoco Kingdom.
1521 - Conclusion of Spanish conquest of the Mexica ("Aztec") empire in central Mexico
1531 - December 9th through 12th - Apparitions of Blessed Virgin Mary to Juan Diego; appearance of image of Virgin of Guadalupe on Juan Diego's tilma on December 12.
1545-48 - The Nican Mopohua, recounting the apparition story in the native language Nahuatl, likely written.
1548 - Juan Diego dies.
1666 - Formal investigation of the tilma and apparition story by the Church
1795 - Acid spilled accidentally on the tilma during cleaning of its frame.
1810 - Image of the Virgin of Guadalupe used as banner of the Hidalgo rebellion.
1921 - Bomb explodes in flower display in front of the tilma, but does not harm the image.
2002 - Canonization of St. Juan Diego on July 31.

(Based mainly on Appendix B of Our Lady of Guadalupe, cited below).

Summary:
We discuss the Virgin of Guadalupe (Feast say December 12) and St. Juan Diego (Feast day December 9).

Just as millions of northern and western Europeans left the Catholic Church as a result of the Protestant Reformation(s), millions of Native Americans entered the Catholic Church. One witness reported that by his count as many as nine million baptisms occurred in Mexico in the space of about 15 years in the early 16th century. The flood of conversions came after the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared on the cloak (the "tilma") of an Indian named Eagle that Speaks, baptized as "Juan Diego."

Over time the image has become iconic and ubiquitous in Mexican Catholicism. But hasn't modern science probably debunked the "miraculous" image on the tilma by now? Listen to our discussion of this vivid, unique Marian apparition and why it is something you need to know about. We also discuss how the Church generally evaluates Marian apparitions and private revelation.

Sources and Further Reading:

• Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love by Carl Anderson and Eduardo Chavez (Image, 2009) - Includes the Nican Mopohua in an appendix.
• Mexican Phoenix: Our Lady of Guadalupe: Image and Tradition Across Five Centuries by D.A. Brading (Cambridge University Press, 2001).
• Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes, and the Fall of Old Mexico by Hugh Thomas (Simon & Schuster, 1993).
• A Still, Small Voice: A Practical Guide on Reported Revelations by Fr. Benedict Groeschel (Ignatius Press, 1993).

Documentary:

Guadalupe: A Living Image (2009)

Music Credit: *Special Thank You to Paul Spring for allowing us to use his song "Itasca" from the album Borderline EP (2014)!

Image Credit: "Vow Gift to the Virgin of the Candelaria '[the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos], Image and license info available at the website of the National Museum van Wereldculturen and Wereldmuseum, The Netherlands. (image dimensions modified).

Episode Summary:

We revisit the topic of holy dirt from our Bede episode again and have a more informal conversation on the history of some Catholic customs. Some of these customs are backed by solid tradition, while others are more controversial. We discuss the interplay of fact and legend, the possible pre-Christian roots of some traditions, and whether any of these cross the line into superstition. We are sure there is much more to learn and understand about each of these traditions, so please take our speculations with at least a small grain of salt this time around. For example, one correction to the episode: the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos is a statue/figurine and was not originally connected with an apparition per se, but rather a famous healing credited to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

All that said, we hope this discussion is thought provoking. Here are some customs and beliefs we discussed:

• Posadas and devotions to baby Jesus in Mexican culture
• Food, such as obleas (Latin American candy based on communion wafers)
• Devotion to St. Christopher, patron saint of safe travels
• Burying a St. Joseph statute to sell a house and possible origins (for example, St. Andre Bessette)
• More sacred dirt - eating the dust from San Juan de los Lagos; St. Helena's use of dirt from Jerusalem at Santa Croce in Rome; and the story of Naaman from the Old Testament (see 2 Kings 5:17).

Sources
Books:
• A History of the Church in 100 Objects by Mike Aquilina and Grace Aquilina (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2017).
• The Catholic All Year Compendium: Living Liturgically for Real Life _by Kendra Tierney (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018).
• _The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Vroagine - Includes the traditional story of St. Christopher and many, many other saints. (Available online from Fordham University).

Articles Online:
• "Night Adoration Growing among Hispanics" (Denver Catholic, Dec. 7, 2013)
• "Geofagia: por que hay gente que no puede parar de comer tierra" by Josh Gabbatiss (BBC News Mundo, July. 13, 2016)
• "El Bable: Geofagia: La 'tierrita' de San Juan y la extrana costumbre de comer tierra" (El Bable, Jun. 12, 2013).
• "Mexican Christmas Traditions" by Dante Arias (Xcaret Blog, Dec. 21, 2016).
• "St. Christopher" (New Advent Catholic Encylcopedia)
• "Whatever Happened to St. Christopher? Is He Still a Saint?" (Catholic Straight Answers)
• "Did the Church declare that St. Christopher is a myth?" (Catholic Answers)
• "The Sellers' Saint" (Washington Post, Oct. 6, 1990)
• "Saint André Bessette: Montreal’s Miracle Worker" by Brother Andre Marie (Catholicism.org, Oct. 25, 2004)

Intro Music Credit:
*Special Thank You to Paul Spring for allowing us to use his song "Itasca" from the album Borderline EP (2014)!

*Episode Summary *

In our first episode, we talk about Día de los Muertos, Mexico's unique take on All Souls and All Saints Days. We discuss the pre-Hispanic history of the holiday and whether it is truly Catholic (we say Yes!). Our sources are listed down in the next section, especially the book The Skeleton at the Feast by Elizabeth Carmichael and Chloë Sayer. Here is a quick summary of what we covered in this episode:

Many traditions now connected with Day of the Dead go back to Mexico's Native American roots. The Aztecs believed "the nature of life was strictly governed by the need to propitiate the gods." (Skeleton at the Feast, page 28). The Aztec god who ruled the underworld was named Mictlantecuhtli and depicted as a skeleton. The Aztecs celebrated two month long festivals called the "Little Feast of the Dead" and the "Great Feast of the Dead" in the summer. Practices such as decorating altars with flowers and food offerings go back to these festivals.

When the Spaniards arrived, they brought Catholic missionaries with them, especially the Franciscans. The Catholic missionaries tried to win converts partly by transferring some aspects of the Aztec holidays over to similar Christian holidays. This is how the summertime feasts of the dead ended up transferred to November 2, All Soul's Day. Attending mass, tolling of bells, and prayers for the souls of the dead were added to the Day of the Dead celebration. However, the holiday continued to be celebrated differently in the Native American countryside versus the more Mestizo urban areas.

So, was the Catholic conversion of this holiday complete and authentic? Listen to the podcast to hear what we thought!

The images of playful, laughing skeletons (calaveras in Spanish) that are connected with Day of the Dead have a rich history of their own. Images of skulls and skeletons go all the way back to the pre-Hispanic past in Mexico and can be seen in surviving Aztec books, such as the Codex Borgia. The skulls were updated by the influential early 20th century engraver José Guadalupe Posada (see The Skeleton at the Feast, pages 125- 127 for famous examples). There is even a visual reference to Posada's famous engraving La Catrina in the 2017 Disney/Pixar movie Coco.

Other symbols connected with Day of the Dead include the family ofrenda, an altar where mementos and pictures of loved ones are placed; flowers, especially marigolds; elaborately cut paper banners (see Skeleton at the Feast, page 32 for an ancient example); and sweets such as pan de muerte.

Sources:

The Skeleton at the Feast: The Day of the Dead in Mexico by Elizabeth Carmichael and Chloë Sayer (University of Texas Press, 1991) - This is the book we were mainly discussing in the episode whenever we talk about "the chapter" we read or what "they " told us about Day of the Dead. This is highly recommended for understanding the history of Day of the Dead.

Day of the Dead in Mexico: Through the Eyes of the Soul by Mary J. Andrade (La Oferta Review Inc., 2002) - We did not discuss this book directly , but it includes bilingual text and many colorful photographs of how Day of the Dead is celebrated in different parts of Mexico.

*Cover Art Credit: *

*Calavera de la Catrina (Skull of the Female Dandy), from the portfolio 36 Grabados: José Guadalupe Posada, published by Arsacio Vanegas, Mexico City, c. 1910 [Public Domain]

*Children's books: *
The Festival of Bones [El Festival de las Calaveras] by Luis San Vicente (Cinco Puntos Press, El Paso, Texas, 2002)
Holidays, Festivals & Celebrations: Dia de Los Muertos by Ann Heinrichs, Illustrated by Mernie Gallagher-Cole (The United States of America by The Child's World, 2006)
Dia de Los Muertos by Roseanne Grennfield Thong, Illustrated by Carles Ballesteros (Albert Whitman & Company, Chicago, IL, 2015)

*Movies: *
Coco (Disney and Pixar, 2017)
The Book of Life (Reel FX, 2014)

"Say hi to your mother for me" quote by Andy Samberg portraying Mark Wahlberg in SNL Skit (Season 35, 2009)