By S.L. Hansen
for the Register
On Monday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. Scott Watts of Guadalupe Missions will give a presentation at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln about Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The presentation will precede the Dec. 12 Mass of the Americas, to be celebrated by Bishop James D. Conley 11 days later on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Catholic Diocese of Lincoln was chosen to host one of 12 nationwide Masses this year as part of “Project Guadalupe 2031” and in celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope.
Composed by Frank La Rocca, the Mass of the Americas is a unity Mass to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception commissioned by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco. It uses texts in Spanish, English, Latin and Nahuatl.
Our Lady of Guadalupe first appeared to a poor, indigenous man of faith named Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico in 1531. Our Lady asked him to build her a shrine in that same spot. Juan Diego took her message to the archbishop, but was initially dismissed.
During a second encounter with Our Lady, she told Juan Diego to gather some flowers, which she arranged in his tilma—a flimsy cloak woven of plant fibers that would typically only last about a year before falling apart. When Juan Diego presented these blossoms to the archbishop, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s image was revealed on his tilma.
Our Lady of Guadalupe’s appearance quickly led to the conversion of more than nine million indigenous Mexican people within a decade, an evangelical movement that has remained unmatched to this day. Not only has the tilma been miraculously preserved for nearly 500 years, it has been studied by various scholars, and none can explain how the image appeared on the cloak. The basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City welcomes upwards of 10 million pilgrims each year.
Watts, a member of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Wahoo, has an inspiring passion for Our Lady of Guadalupe. About five years ago, he started Guadalupe Missions to share Our Lady with many more people in North America and, recently, in Ireland.
A convert to the Catholic faith, Watts became a lay missionary with Hope for the Poor, taking Catholic groups to serve the poor in and around Mexico City. Watts soon realized these Catholics were almost always eager to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe to see the miraculous tilma. Over time, he developed a wealth of knowledge about Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“It came from questions people had, rather than reading a book,” Watts said.
While back home in Nebraska, Watts was asked to give presentations about Our Lady of Guadalupe with more and more frequency. Moreover, he said, “All kinds of beautiful stuff was happening” every time he spoke to a group about her.
Watts consulted his spiritual director for help discerning what his next steps should be. He had a vision for a highly interactive presentation, which was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He received confirmation to start his own non-profit to bring Our Lady of Guadalupe to more people.
“She is for everybody,” Watts emphasized. “You don’t have to go to Mexico, or be from there. She is Patroness of the Americas — the United States, Canada, all of us.”
Watts brings a full-size image of the tilma to his presentations, which shows all present many signs and symbols indicating the handiwork of God. He also has samples of the tilma’s material so people can feel how fragile it is, confirming it is truly miraculous that the tilma has not disintegrated over the last five centuries, and also how impossible it would be for any human to draw an image on such a garment.
“When you have five senses, why not use them?” Watts theorizes. “I can hand it to you and you can feel it and smell it. In short, this experience is bringing the pilgrimage to you.”
While Watts is happy to speak to any group that can bring him to their local school or parish, there are two audiences that he is particularly hoping to reach: skeptics and practicing Catholics who have lost the joy of faith.
He recalled presenting at a high school in Columbus, at the end of a Friday afternoon. Knowing how skeptical he was himself as a teen, and how school assemblies at the end of a week usually go, he expected the vast majority of students to bolt for the door as soon as the assembly ended. As he wrapped up, he invited anybody who wanted to touch the tilma replica or to pray to come up, and he would stay as long as they did.
“The bell rings, and over 100 kids stayed for like an hour,” Watts marveled.
In parish presentations, he said, he has seen the faithful Catholics who show up for everything but don’t seem to enjoy anything have life-changing experiences as they find a connection to St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“They have their eyes and ears opened,” Watts said. “Miracles are happening every day with this stuff.”
Watts, his wife and their two children under the age of 3 are currently the only “staff” in Guadalupe Missions, although he said there are many donors, prayer partners and volunteers who keep things going. As word of mouth spreads about his presentation, he sees the potential for dozens of bookings each month. For that, he will need more financial resources, another tilma replica, and another presenter who feels called to give people this unique experience.
“I think it’s going to be bigger than me and my family,” Watts speculated. “We’re hungry for this to grow as fast as God wants us to. We’re in this full time; we just want to support our family as we are going.”
Watts can present on Our Lady of Guadalupe in English or in Spanish. He said he hopes to get all around his adopted home state of Nebraska before his schedule becomes too busy elsewhere in the U.S. and Ireland. To book him, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information about the presentations, visit guadalupemissions.org.
The Dec. 1 presentation at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln is open to anybody. Bishop Conley’s Mass of the Americas, which is part of the Guadalupe Project in anticipation of the 500th anniversary of the apparitions, is also open to all comers. It will be celebrated at the Cathedral on Friday, Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, at 7 p.m.
5 facts about the image of
Our Lady of Guadalupe
1.
The image that appeared on St. Juan Diego’s tilma in 1531 contains symbolism that only the native indigenous people from Mexico could comprehend at the time.
2.
The stars on Our Lady’s mantle are astronomically accurate to the day she appeared.
3.
The image has been scientifically proven to have not been painted by humans.
4.
The image closely resembles a description of the Blessed Mother in Revelation 12:1.
5.
The roses that fell out of Saint Juan Diego’s tilma were not native to Mexico. The bishop recognized they were Castilian roses native to where he was born in Spain.
