[10] The history of Our Lady of Guadalupe and ultimately Catholicism in North America surrounds the origin story of the Guadalupian Event that took place in December 1531.

Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican man was 57 years old when he encountered and interacted with La Virgen de Guadalupe.

The legend says that as he presented the cloak to the bishop, it fell to the ground and they saw an image of La Virgen de Guadalupe she had left imprinted on it.

[4] It was in the sixteenth century that the growth of the cult of Our Lady of Guadalupe began, and the creation of poems and sermons honouring her, and the first artistic interpretations of her image were created expressing a new cultural idiom for Mexico.

[17] Our Lady of Guadalupe offered a different style of devotion, "She didn't say, go to church or say the rosary" instead she proclaimed that if followers "love me, trust me and believe in me" she will respond.

[2] In traditional paintings, artworks and tapestries, she is depicted as a dark-skinned woman atop a crescent moon with angels at her feet.

[9] The original church crown eroded because of weather and was restored in 1981, however, in 1995 it was damaged by a strong earthquake and replaced with a temporary fibre glass structure.

[21] In parish documents, Father Luis Ramirez refers to the Church as, "an expression of village art, which symbolises the authentic urban look of Puerto Vallarta".

[3] Depending on the specific district there are towns that organise parades and or processions that follow altars of Lady Guadalupe carried by the faithful and include children who dress either as Juan Diego or the Virgin Mary.

[22] To celebrate this event, Mexican homeowners will usually create a shrine in honour of the patroness saint, covering and surrounding the memorial with flowers, candles, individual torches and other trinkets.

[23] She has often been considered a symbol of maternity, female empowerment and social justice and has been celebrated by women not only in Mexico but in other places of Latin America and the United States.

[25] Moreover, the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire was not only a time for military defense but also the overrule of old traditions, rituals and gods that were considered pagan.

[16] Depicted as a virgin, she encapsulates feminist and maternal attributes and remains a powerful symbol of motherhood, feminism and social justice.

[2] Today, Lady Guadalupe who was originally a symbol of Catholicism, has surpassed religious ties and it is intertwined with the culture and civilization of Mexico.

[2] Extending beyond the confines of Mexico, in the United States she has been utilized as an icon of social justice appeals to those in society who lack power.