In the place called Tepeyac, the Most Holy Mary appeared to a Chichimeca peasant named Juan Diego, who had recently converted to Christianity. For Juan Diego that woman was “the Lady”, whom he looked at with respect, but perhaps also with a little distance. She, meanwhile, wanted to touch her heart: she presented herself as “the perfect ever Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the true God.”
“The Lady” entrusted Juan Diego to ask the capital bishop, the Franciscan Juan de Zumárraga, to order the construction of a church dedicated to Her, in the same place where she had appeared. Juan Diego communicated this to the bishop, but he did not believe him. In the next apparition, the Virgin asked Juan Diego to insist. A day later, Juan Diego met the prelate again without getting him to change his position.
On Tuesday, December 12, the Virgin appeared to him again to give him comfort and hope. Juan Diego, comforted by her, confessed to the “Lady” that he was very sick of her uncle and that he had tried to avoid a meeting with her for that reason.
She then asked him to go to the top of Mount Tepeyac, pick flowers and take them with him. Although the request seemed crazy – it was winter and the fields did not bloom – San Juan Diego obeyed. When he arrived at the indicated place, he found a sprout of very beautiful flowers, placed them in her tilma and took them to the bishop, just as the Virgin had asked him.