Did a piece of sidewalk just become the area’s newest shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe? Parishioners at Holy Family Church in Artesia might tell you so.
As people were leaving the parish’s early morning mañanitas Mass on the feast day of Guadalupe, Dec. 12, someone noticed a puddle in the sidewalk in front of the parish rectory they thought bore a striking resemblance to the “tilma” image.
Fellow Mass-goers seemed to agree, and within hours the oval-shaped puddle had taken on a life of its own, attracting hundreds of curious faithful and, eventually, TV news cameras.
The resemblance appeared to become more pronounced after the water dried, and the spot has been surrounded by candles.
While Holy Family pastor Father John Cordero can’t explain how the image formed, he sees it as an example of Mary bringing people to her Son.
“On a practical level, this sign has led to a lot of people to gather and pray,” said Cordero. “It is beautiful to see people finding hope in solace to this reminder of God’s abiding presence in our lives.”
