En 1623, el pueblo de San Juan Bautista Mexquititlan era un lugar pequeno situado sobre el Camino Real de la Nueva Galicia entre San Luis Potosi y Guadalajara, importante por su estrategica ubicacion y su gran mercado ganadero y de finos caballos. Estaba habitado por algunas cuantas familias indigenas, y contaba con un hospital y una humilde capilla de adobe a donde unos 50 anos antes el franciscano Fray Miguel de Bolonia habia traido una pequena imagen de la Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcion hecha en Patzcuaro de pasta de caiia. Con el tiempo dicha imagen se habia deteriorado y la habian olvidado en un rincon del hospital. Su unica visitante era la esposa de encargado de la capilla, Pedro Andres, una anciana indigena de nombre Ana Lucia, quien le llamaba carinosamente ''Cihualpilli'', o Senora. Por esos tiempos, una familia espanola de volantineros pasaba por la poblacion en camino a Guadalajara. La hija menor de seis afios participaba tambien en los actos circenses, saltando por el aire entre dos trapecios suspendidos sobre una cama de estacas, a modo de hacer el acto mas peligroso, y por o tanto, mas atractivo. En esa ocasion, algo fallo, y la nina cayo sobre las estacas, muriendo irremediablemente. Entre gran dolor de sus padres y de los habitantes, el cuerpecito fue amortajado y levado hasta la capilla para ser velada. Fue entonces que Ana Lucia trajo la vieja imagen de la Inmaculada Concepcion, y la coloco sobre el pecho de la nitia. ''Rogad a Cihualpilli'', les decia Ana Lucia, quien tenia gran fe, y todos lo hicieron fervorosamente. La terrible pena dio lugar a un inmenso asombro, pues al instante de estar todos rezando, la nina recobro la vida y se enderezo, completamente sana. Esto fue lo que se conoce como el Primer Milagro de la Virgen, y en agradecimiento, la familia de volantineros pago para que la deteriorada imagen fuera restaurada. Ademas, hablaron del milagroso acontecimiento en toda la Nueva Galicia, y muy pronto, la devocion a la Virgen se extendio a toda la Nueva Espana, region que hoy en dia comprenden Mexico y Centroamerica.  
            Diez anos mas tarde, gracias a un permiso de la Real Audiencia, el pequeno pueblo fue habitado por familias espanolas, y se le dio el titulo de Villa de San Juan De Los Lagos; fue cuando a la pequeiia imagen se le comenzo a conocer como la Virgen de San Juan de Los Lagos. Desde ese entonces fueron llegando las peregrinaciones de todas partes de la Nueva Espana hasta los pies de la Virgen, trayendo flores, frutas, reliquias y obsequios monetarios en agradecimiento a a pequena Cihualpilli por su intercesion divina, y a mismo tiempo para llevarse un poco de la tierra de adobe de la capillita que se creia tenia poderes curativos. Con el tiempo, la pequeiia capilla fue insuficiente para recibir a los miles de visitantes, y fue ampliada varias veces. Actualmente es una de las catedrales mas importantes de todo Mexico, no solo por su riqueza arquitectonica descrita como ''un variante regional del estilo barroco'' sino por ser e centro religioso mas visitado de todo Mexico, superado solamente por la Catedral de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe en la Ciudad de Mexico.
           Hoy en dia, enclavada en la region conocida como Los Altos de Jalisco, se encuentra la Ciudad de San Juan de Los Lagos, donde cada ano, ya no miles, sino millones de fieles llegan hasta el Santuario de La Virgen de San Juan con una fe simple y absoluta, llenando la poblacion desde tempranas horas hasta la puesta de sol de los dias feriados con un murmullo suave, constante e inquebrantable de cantos y alabanzas, capaz de conmover al mas indiferente. Han transcurrido 381 anos desde que la familia de volantineros recupero a su hijita de la muerte por medio de la fe y la oracion. Hoy, los que tuvimos e privilegio de nacer a la sombra de aquella gran basilica, al igual que todos los que hicimos el peregrinaje cada ano hasta el Santuario, nos reunimos con esa misma fe simple, para rendir homenaje a Nuestra Senora de San Juan, cuya intercesion divina no ha dejado de obrar innumerables milagros en la vida de cada uno de nosotros.

The History of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos

          In 1623, the town of San Juan Bautista Mexquititlan was a small place situated on the King's Highway in New Galicia between San Luis Potosi and Guadalajara; it was important due to its strategic location and its great cattle and fine horse market. It was inhabited by a few indigenous families, and had a hospital and a humble adobe chapel where, 50 years prior, the Franciscan Brother Miguel de Bolonia had brought a small image of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception made in Patzcuaro of cane paste. With time, said image had deteriorated and had been forgotten in the hospital's backrooms. Her only visitor was Ana Lucia, an elderly Indian woman who was the wife of Pedro Andres, the chapel's keeper. Ana Lucia affectionately called her ''Cihualpilli", or Lady. During those days, a Spanish family of trapeze artists was going through town on their way to Guadalajara. The youngest daughter, who was six years old, also participated in the circus acts, jumping between trapezes suspended over a bed of stakes, which made the act more dangerous, and therefore, more attractive. On this occasion, something failed and the girl fell on the stakes and died. Amidst her parents' and the inhabitants' great sorrow, the small body was shrouded and taken to the chapel for a funeral vigil. It was then that Ana Lucia brought the old image of the Immaculate Conception and placed on the girl's chest. 'Pray to Cihualpilli", Ana Lucia, who had great faith, told them, and they did so fervently. The terrible sorrow gave way to immense astonishment, for at the very instant that they were all praying, the girl came back to life and got up, completely healed. This is what is known as the Virgin's First Miracle, and in appreciation, the family of trapeze artists covered the costs of the restoration of the deteriorated image. Also, they spoke of the miraculous event throughout New Galicia, and very soon, the devotion to the Virgin extended to all of the New Spain, the region that is now comprised of Mexico and Central America.
         Ten years later, by permission of the Royal Courts, the small town was inhabited by Spanish families, and was given the title of Village of San Juan de Los Lagos; that was when the small image began to be known as the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos. Since that time, pilgrims have been arriving from throughout the New Spain before the Virgin, bringing flowers, fruits, relics and monetary gifts to give thanks to the little Cihualpilli for her divine intercession, and at the same time so that they can take a little of the chapel's adobe earth which was believed to have healing powers. With time, the small chapel became inadequately small for the thousands of visitors and was enlarged several times. Currently, it is one of the most important cathedrals in all of Mexico, not only because of its architectural beauty, which has been described as a ''regional variant of the baroque style", but because it is the most visited religious center in all of Mexico second only to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
         Nowadays, in the middle of the region that is known as Los Altos in Jalisco, we find the City of San Juan de Los Lagos where each year, no longer thousands, but millions of faithful arrive at the Sanctuary of the Virgin of San Juan with a simple and absolute faith, filling the town on the feast days from dawn until dusk with a soft, constant and endless murmur of chants and praises, capable of touching even the most indifferent of spectators. 381 years have passed since the family of trapeze artists recovered their small daughter from death through faith and prayer. Today, those of us who have the privilege of having been born at the foot of that great basilica as well as those of us who made the yearly pilgrimage to the Sanctuary, come together here with that same simple faith, to pay homage to Our Lady of San Juan, whose divine intercession has not ceased to bring endless miracles in the lives of each one of us. If any of you would like to know more about the story of the Virgin's First Miracle, or about the history of San Juan de Los Lagos, please go to any of the Committee members for more information.