By San Francisco Catolico
A full-size replica of the miraculous tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe journeyed throughout the Archdiocese of San Francisco this Advent season, inspiring thousands of the faithful to enter more deeply into prayer and devotion to Our Lady. The image—gifted to Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone during his recent pilgrimage to Mexico—is a third-class relic, having been touched to the original tilma enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. For nine consecutive days from November 28 to December 6, the relic visited archdiocesan parishes and schools, San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, and the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.
“It was my great honor and joy to celebrate Mass two months ago on the feast day of her Most Holy Rosary in the Basilica Shrine in Mexico City at the very spot where she appeared to St. Juan Diego,” said Archbishop Cordileone in his homily for the annual Cruzada Guadalupana. “At a reception after the Mass, the committee of the Mexican Bishops Conference entrusted with preparations for the 500th anniversary of the apparition in 2031 gifted me with a blessing beyond my imagination or anything I could have anticipated: an exact replica of Juan Diego’s tilma – the same size, the same material, a reproduction of the tilma to the last detail. And, it was touched to the actual tilma itself.”
The Novena took place over the course of nine days in the three counties of Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo. The final day of the Novena was combined with the annual Cruzada Guadalupe on December 6 with more than 30,000 pilgrims walking from All Souls in South San Francisco to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption for Mass with Archbishop Cordileone.
“We are celebrating this Novena to pray for the needs of our archdiocese at this time, that God might send his guidance and protection to us and Our Lady may intercede for us, that we might be her faithful children and be able to carry out the mission of making her Son known to the world,” said Archbishop Cordileone.
A pilgrimage across the archdiocese
The Novena began with a solemn welcome at Our Lady of Loretto in Novato, where parishioners gathered for morning Mass and the first procession with the relic. From there, the tilma traveled to St. Raphael Catholic Church in San Rafael, where Our Lady was greeted with las Mañanitas before morning Mass and a day of prayer and reflection on the apparitions of the Virgen at Tepeyac. Evening Mass followed as well as veneration of the tilma relic.
On the third day, the image made a special stop at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center for a private Mass with the incarcerated community. For many, this moment marked an encounter with the mercy and maternal care of the Blessed Mother—bringing comfort and hope behind prison walls.
On Monday, December 1, the relic traveled to St. Peter Parish in San Francisco, where it was welcomed by a full church community, including students from the parish school. The schoolchildren participated reverently in the Mass and veneration of the relic. This historic Mass brough together both St. Peter and St. Anthony Immaculate Conception schools with the larger parish community and the Missionaries of Charity.
On December 2, the image visited Star of the Sea parish in San Francisco, where parishioners participated in Masses in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a full day of Eucharistic Adoration, rosaries, and Marian reflections. The Novena then moved to St. Anthony Parish in Menlo Park on December 3, followed by Our Lady of the Pillar in Half Moon Bay on December 4, where students from Our Lady of the Pillar Academy assisted in the morning Mass and a trilingual Mass in Spanish, English and Portuguese was held in the evening. On December 5, St. Matthew Parish in San Mateo hosted the relic, concluding the parish visits with a day of prayer.
Daily Structure of Prayer and Devotion
Each stop of the Novena followed a consistent rhythm of prayer and catechesis, allowing the faithful to enter more deeply into the message of Guadalupe.
Every day began with a morning Mass, during which the relic was processed into the church and placed near the altar for public veneration.
Throughout the day, the host parish led rosaries and read reflections recounting the four apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Each evening concluded with a solemn Mass and veneration of the relic.
Throughout the nine days, thousands of people participated in the Novena, reflecting the enduring devotion to Our Lady within the archdiocese.
The Culmination: La Cruzada Guadalupana
The Novena reached its joyful culmination on Saturday, December 6, during the annual Cruzada Guadalupana, one of the archdiocese’s largest and most beloved Marian events. The day began at All Souls Catholic Church in South San Francisco, where thousands of pilgrims gathered in the early morning cold to accompany the traveling tilma in a miles-long procession.
Carrying banners, singing hymns, and praying the rosary, the more than 30,000 pilgrims walked from All Souls to the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, the final destination of the Novena.
As the pilgrims approached the cathedral, a special welcoming ceremony took place to greet the relic and the two people who reenacted the apparition of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego.
Archbishop Cordileone offered Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe and for the intentions of the archdiocese. Parishioners, families, young people, religious communities and pilgrims from across the Bay Area filled the cathedral joining together in gratitude for the Blessed Mother’s guidance and protection.
“We are happy to conclude the Novena leading up to this Cruzada Guadalupana here at the Cathedral, after the tilma has been exposed and venerated in different parishes throughout the archdiocese each day leading up to this day,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “We offered our prayers during this Novena to ask for her assistance to us here in the family of our archdiocese and in so many families who are experiencing fear and uncertainty at this time.
“We need to hear once again, and take to heart, the words she spoke to her dear Juan Dieguito 494 years ago: ‘Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that disturbs you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing. Do not let your countenance, your heart be disturbed. Do not be afraid….’”
A Novena of Unity, Faith and Hope
The nine-day journey of the traveling tilma was more than a devotional event. It became a pilgrimage of spiritual renewal for the archdiocese. Its presence in parishes, schools, the rehabilitation center and the cathedral offered countless moments of healing and hope. Many participants shared that simply standing before the relic, knowing it had touched the original tilma, felt like standing at Tepeyac itself.
As the archdiocese continues its Advent journey toward Christmas, the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe—“Am I not here, I who am your Mother?”— gives us hope in the Jubilee year that she remains close to us, caring for us as she did for her son.
