Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the August issue of Catolico, the archdiocese’s Spanish-language newspaper. It was translated from the original Spanish for the Catholic New World. St. John Bosco said to youths, “Time passes slowly for the sad and very fast for those living with joy.” These words, frequently repeated by St. John Bosco, echo the experience lived by Cardinal George and the small group of us who went with him on his pastoral trip to Mexico July 1-7. In all seven days of his pastoral visit to the Mexican states of Michoacan, Guanajuato and Mexico City, Cardinal George experienced the love and hospitality of the Catholic Church and the people of Mexico. He visited the places where thousands of parishioners in our own Archdiocese of Chicago were born and once lived. What might have seemed like any other trip turned out to be a true pilgrimage, an encounter with the heart, the faith and the love of the Mexican nation reflected on the cloak of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe. This visit was marked by the interest, love and hospitality expressed by the people, priests and bishops, and some civic leaders of this part of Mexico, who at every step of the way cared for us and enriched us with their example, their values and their history. Our journey began in the city of Morelia, Michoacan, the state capital, a beautiful and historic town. We arrived at 2 a.m. and, despite the lateness of the hour and the cold of the early morning, were greeted and welcomed by Auxiliary Bishop Carlos Suarez of Morelia and Msgr. Diego Monroy, rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, as well as a small group of laypeople. After a good night’s sleep, we awoke to the sounding bells from Morelia’s cathedral. Archbishop Alberto Suarez Inda came to our hotel and together we went to the cathedral to celebrate, along with hundreds of parishioners, priests and bishops from this region of Michoacan, a Mass, in honor of Nuestro Señor de la Sacristia, a crucifix made of sugar cane that has many devoted followers in the city. In his homily, Archbishop Inda welcomed Cardinal George and remembered and blessed the thousands of brothers and sisters who have immigrated to United States, and whom they remember with affection. The archbishop also thanked the church of Chicago for receiving the immigrants and for walking by their side on their journey. After a fraternal meal we went to el Cerro de Santa María, St. Mary’s Hill, where we held our first meeting with all the bishops from the Michoacan region, as well as priests and lay brothers with whom we held a rich dialogue regarding the reality of families affected by emigration and the effects on society and the Catholic Church on both sides of the border. Our Lady of Health The next day, early in the morning we went to of Patzcuaro, a beautiful and picturesque city home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Health — the patron of the Archdiocese of Morelia. At noon, we celebrated Mass and we were able to pray before the remains of the great Vasco de Quiroga, the first bishop of Michoacán and a great promoter and defender of the Indians, who gave him the title of Tata, which means “Daddy” or “Father.” In Patzcuaro, Cardinal George admired the paintings of Juan O’Gorman that portray Utopia, or the dream of the perfect society of Tata Vasco. Near Patzcuaro is Tzintzuntzán, which, in ancient times, was the capital of the Purépecha Empire. Here we visited the mission and a former Franciscan convent where the native people celebrated the sacraments and received an education, learned trades and were treated with respect, honor and dignity of as children of God. We were all impressed by this great missionary work, very reminiscent of a passages from the Acts of the Apostles: “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” Our indigenous brothers gave us a joyful and heartfelt welcome. Our Lady of Refuge This great meeting was the prelude to our visit the next day to Our Lady of Refuge in Acámbaro, a city located about two hours away from the city of Morelia, in the state of Guanajuato. There, along with hundreds of people, we celebrated the eve of the patron saint festival, surrounded by the town band and accompanied by the bishops of Morelia, Irapuato and Celaya. After Mass we met with local bishops, clergy and laypeople and talked about the realities and needs of our brothers and sisters on both sides of our border. At this meeting, Cardinal George expressed the importance of teaching our immigrant brothers “how to be” Mexicans in the United States, and teaching the second and third generations “how to be” Americans without sacrificing their cultural heritage, their language and the religion of their parents and grandparents. Once again, the bishops, clergy and all present remained committed to continue working diligently on these issues. Our Lady of Guadalupe As good pilgrims, we headed from Acambaro to the center of the life of faith for an entire people, and — according to Pope John Paul II — for a whole continent: the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It was to this holy place Cardinal George took all the hopes, concerns and blessings from his archdiocese and, in a very special way, from its Hispanic people to present them to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Cardinal George presided at the noon Mass on July 4 at the basilica and preached to more than 12,000 faithful present and many more who followed the Mass on the Internet. With no doubt, it was here that the cloak of St. Juan Diego covered all the people of Chicago in the person of Cardinal George. We also had the opportunity to visit Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop of Mexico City. Later in the afternoon, we met the Apostolic Nuncio of Mexico, Archbishop Christopher Pierre, in his residence. Both he and Cardinal George had a fraternal conversation in French. The pastoral visit of Cardinal George continued in Mexico City, where he deepened his knowledge of pre-Columbian history at the Templo Mayor and received a summary of the Mexican faith and culture embodied in the Metropolitan Cathedral. Housed in this cathedral is the relic of the Mexican martyr St. Felipe de Jesus who was just one of many Mexican martyrs who gave their lives in the late 1930s at the cry of “Viva Cristo Rey,” “Long live Christ the King.” Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro is another great Mexican marytr who, just before being killed, not only forgave his executioner, but thanked him. Finishing up We also met with a group of Mexican businessmen who, for many years, have looked at different ways of implementing the church’s social teachings into daily life. This enlightened dialogue allowed us to foresee some paths for the development for our peoples from the faith’s perspective. Finally, we ended our journey with a Mass at the motherhouse of the Oblates of Jesus the Priest, followed by a dinner and gathering. We departed on July with the tender and loving gaze from the Virgin of Guadalupe reflected in our eyes and the blood of the martyrs reviving our faith and the testimony of love and affection from the Catholic Church and the Mexican people. Our plane and our cardinal returned to Chicago, bringing great blessings for our archdiocese, which Cardinal George entrusted, with the same confidence, to Our Lady of Guadalupe. About the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe The present Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was constructed on the site of an earlier 16th-century church that was finished in 1709, the Old Basilica. When this basilica became dangerous due to the sinking of its foundations, a modern structure called the New Basilica was built next to it; the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is now housed in this New Basilica. Built between 1974 and 1976, the new Basilica has a circular floorplan so that the image of the Virgin can be seen from any point within the building. The circular structure is 100 meters (330 feet) in diameter, and can accomodate up to 50,000 people. The choir is located between the altar and the churchgoers to indicate that it, too, is part of the group of the faithful. To the sides are the chapels of the Santisimo and of Saint Joseph. It has 9 chapels on the upper floor. Under the main floor are the Basilica's crypts, with 15,000 niches and 10 chapels. Its seven front doors are an allusion to the seven gates of Celestial Jerusalem referred to by Christ. On the grounds where the New Basilica is located there are also many other buildings, including the original chapel on the exact site of the apparitions to St. Juan Diego (Capilla del Cerrito) and the Old Basilica consecrated in 1709, as well as other chapels where Masses and other sacraments are celebrated daily. The basilica and its chapels are the center of daily fervent religious activity: At least 30 Masses are celebrated every day of the year. At the main altar in the New Basilica Masses are said every hour, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day of the year. There are eight daily masses also in its San Jose Chapel (five on Saturdays and Sundays) and in the crypt. Hundreds of baptisms are celebrated every week. There are also weddings, First Communions and confirmations celebrated. Confessions are heard every day of the year in the basilica, from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. From the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, www.sancta.org.