Guanajuato, Mexico: New Virgin Mary Found

In 1998 during the demolition of some walls inside what is now the hotel Meson del Cantador in Guanajuato, Mexico, workers were surprised by sudden appearance of a hidden basement. They entered the space and discovered some antique furniture and utensils as well as the torso of a wooden sculpture. Later, the head, arms, legs, and the left foot were found.

No one knows how the sculpture came to be in Guanajuato or who brought it here. Margarito Sánchez Lira, who was born in the house and spent a great deal of his life there, did not know about the hidden basement or about the treasures inside. He remembers his parents telling him that their house was a candle factory in the late 1800's before his grandparents moved in shortly after the turn of the century.

Armando Morales, one of the men involved in the remodeling project, is married to a woman who is part of the Sánchez Lira family. He decided to keep the sculpture until all the parts were found even though he didn't know what it was or if it had any value. The statue was in very bad condition, but once the head was found, he could see it was a representation of the Virgin Mary in her avocation of the Immaculate Conception.

Armando wasn't sure what to do with the statue. He remembered that his aunt, María Morales López, had recently constructed a family chapel in her house in Yerbabuena. Armando and his wife, Lucía Sánchez Lira, discussed the discovery of the Virgin in the hidden basement in her ancestral home and decided to give the dismembered statue to his aunt to see if she could have it repaired.

María willingly accepted the gift from her nephew. Her son, José Antonio Morales, patiently restored the image. He carefully cleaned it, repaired the worst damage, and with the help of a carpenter, fabricated a right foot to replace the original one that was never found. Finally, José made new clothing for the statue.

The sculpture, which now has the place of honor in the family's chapel, is made of wood and stands nearly 5 feet tall. The face has a look of great tenderness and is quite realistic. The family believes the statue was carved in the 1800's and hopes to obtain a certification of its antiquity.

Many people regularly visit the chapel where the Virgin presides. Many claim the Virgin has done miracles for them and have attached exvotos (votive offerings) to her clothing to thank her for her intercession on their behalf.

The parish priest who performed Mass in the chapel and gave it his blessing praised María Morales López and her family for their decision to build a family chapel in their home. He expressed his desire that more families in Guanajuato would do the same and said it would bring them closer to God.