Mexican devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe blends into national identity | Center Spread

There’s a saying in Mexico: “Not all Mexicans are Catholic, but all are Guadalupan.”

The saying conveys the deep connection between Our Lady of Guadalupe and the country’s identity. In the nation of 130 million people — the majority of whom identify as Catholic — this apparition of the Virgin Mary carries a symbolic force that often surpasses religious belief.

“After Mexico emerged as an