Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos
| Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos Our Lady of Saint John of the Lakes |
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| Virgen de San Juan de los Lagos Patroness of San Juan de los Lagos |
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| Venerated in | Catholic Church (Roman Rite) |
| Major shrine | Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos |
| Feast | 2 February 24 June 15 August 8 December |
| Attributes | Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer, golden crown, white gown, blue mantle, silver banner held by angels |
| Patronage | San Juan de los Lagos |
Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos (English: Our Lady of Saint John of the Lakes) is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by Mexican and Texan faithful. The original image is a popular focus for pilgrims and is located in the state of Jalisco, in central Mexico, 122 kilometers (76 mi) northeast of the city of Guadalajara. The statue is venerated both in Mexico and the United States known by its proxy title Nuestra Señora de San Juan del Valle (Our Lady of Saint John of the Valley) mainly focused in Texas.
Pope Pius X granted the image a Canonical coronation on 15 August 1904 and is widely known for the jeweled regalia offered by its devotees all throughout Mexico. It is permanently enshrined at the Basilica Minor of San Juan de los Lagos and is one of the most visited pilgrimage shrines in Mexico.
The sanctuary's history begins in 1543 when Father Miguel de Bologna, a Spanish priest, brought a statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception to the village. The town was then called San Juan Mezquititlan Baptist but its name was changed to San Juan de Los Lagos in 1623. According to local histories, and some eyewitness accounts, a certain aerial acrobat was traveling along the Camino Real, "the Royal Highway," from San Luis Potosí to Guadalajara, performing in the towns along the way. His act included his wife and two daughters. His stunts included swinging from one high point to another by means of ropes, in somewhat the same fashion as trapeze artists of today. To add excitement and an element of danger, the artists had to fly over swords and knives that were stuck in the ground with their points positioned upward.
While performing in the village, the younger daughter, a child of six or seven, slipped, fell upon the knives and was mortally wounded. After preparing the body and wrapping it in burial cloths, the grieving parents brought the child's body to the chapel of Our Lady of San Juan for burial.
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