Well, needless to say, the church was built and the cloak with the image of the Virgin was hung inside. Millions of natives were converted. In 1544 there was a terrible epidemic in Mexico City which killed thousands. The virgin was brought and her presence ended the spread of the sickness. In 1629, there was a flood, and the presence of the Virgin caused it to abate. In 1754, the Virgin of Guadalupe was declared Patroness and Protectress of New Spain.

 Every good Catholic in Mexico hopes to someday visit this shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe at least once in their lifetime. It is crowded at all times of the year, but this is especially so for the fiesta on December 12, the anniversary of her last appearance to Juan Diego. It is normal, at this time of year, to see people camped on the back streets, in the plazas, on vacant lots, and on the hillsides surrounding the shrine.
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Another appearance of the Virgin near and dear to the hearts of Mexicans is the Virgin of Soledad.  She was a beautifully dressed saint figure that arrived in the Village of Oaxaca strapped to a donkey...just the two of them...Virgin and donkey...alone. No rider, no leader. And the poor donkey staggered into the village, obviously dehydrated and starving, and promptly died. The villagers took the beautiful image to heart and made her their own, erecting a church to her. Because she had come to them alone with only a donkey, and even the donkey left her, they called her the Virgin of Soledad (Virgin of Solitude.) The church, in Oaxaca, is called the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Soledad. She has become the patron saint of Oaxaca, and is often depicted especially by the artists of that town and its surrounding villages.

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