Grade 3, Chapter 9

Act Out the Story of
Our Lady of Guadalupe

This play tells the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. You can print it and act it out in your class. The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12.

Narrator: It was before dawn on a chilly December morning. An Aztec Indian named Juan Diego hurried to Mass. As he reached a little hill, suddenly he heard the beautiful singing of birds. There stood a woman who shone like the sun! She spoke of him with love.

Mary: I am the Mother of God, the God who created everything. I want to show my love for the poor and needy. Please go to the bishop. Ask him to build a church on this spot, so that I can help all who need my protection.

Juan Diego: My lady, right now I will do as you ask.

Narrator: So Juan Diego walked a long way into the city. He explained to the bishop the wonderful thing that had happened. But the bishop sent Juan Diego away. Juan Diego returned to the hill. The Lady was there waiting for him.

Juan Diego: My lady, I am not sure that the bishop believed me. Perhaps I am too poor.

Mary: My son, I trust you to be my messenger. Go to the bishop again.

Narrator: Juan Diego was happy to do whatever she asked. He went back to the bishop, but the bishop said:

Bishop: I need a sign from God to prove that what you say is true.

Narrator: Juan Diego agreed to ask the Lady for a sign. But the next day, there was an emergency. His uncle was dying of a high fever. Juan Diego could not go back to the Lady. He needed to bring a priest to pray with his uncle. He walked around the hill so that he wouldn't meet her. But soon, there she was anyway.

Mary: My dear one, where are you going?

Juan Diego: (sadly) My uncle is dying! I need to get a priest for him.

Mary: Dear one, do not fear this illness, or anything at all. Am I not your Mother? Your uncle is not going to die. He is healed!

Narrator: Juan Diego knew that she was telling the truth. He trusted her. He told her how the bishop had said that he would need a sign from God. But Mary had the answer.

Mary: Go to the top of the hill. You will see roses growing. Gather them.

Narrator: She was right. Even though there was frost on the ground, many sweet-smelling roses were growing on the rocky, thorny hilltop. Surely the bishop would believe this sign! Mary arranged the roses in Juan Diego's cloak. Carefully he carried them all the way to the city.

Juan Diego: My lord bishop, I told the Heavenly Woman of my promise to bring you a sign. She asked me to bring you these flowers from her. Here they are.

Narrator: But as Juan Diego opened his cloak to let the roses fall, an even greater sign came about. Where the roses had been was a picture in shining colors of the Lady herself. The bishop and everyone else in the room fell to their knees.

Bishop: Juan Diego, please forgive me for not believing you! The picture on this cloak is truly a sign of God's love!

Narrator: So the Lady had given a sign the bishop could understand. She had also told the truth about Juan Diego's uncle. He had been completely healed of his sickness. The next day, Juan Diego took the bishop to the spot where he had met the Heavenly Woman. A church was quickly built, and Juan Diego's cloak was placed inside. Now everyone could see this sign of God's care for the poor and needy. Juan Diego came to live at the church. Many people visited it. He prayed with them until the day he died. That was more than 500 years ago. But crowds of people are still coming to the church, near Mexico City. The picture on the cloak is still as bright as it was that day in December. And people all over North and South America still turn to Our Lady of Guadalupe for protection.

The End!