Join Fr. Ambrose Criste, O.Praem., for an in-depth interview with Dr. Arturo Rocha Cortés PhD, Academic Director at the Colegio de Estudios Guadalupanos (COLEG) de la Universidad Intercontinental UIC, and one of Mexico’s leading experts on Nahua culture, anthropology, and the historical foundations of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Filmed in a major historical research center in Mexico City—surrounded by sixteenth-century documents, early evangelization texts, and original archival materials—this conversation explores the cultural and intellectual world into which Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared.

This interview covers:

• The world of the Nahua peoples before 1531
• Ancient concepts of truth, God, personhood, and the structure of society
• The meaning of “flower and song” in poetry, music, and philosophy
• The religious atmosphere of Mesoamerica and its “theological monism”
• How the imagery of the tilma communicates directly to Indigenous culture
• The nature of true inculturation in the evangelization of the New World
• How the Guadalupe event unites peoples and becomes foundational for Mexico

Dr. Rocha’s insights reveal why the story of Guadalupe cannot be fully understood without understanding the anthropological and cultural world she entered. This conversation uncovers the deeper meaning behind the tilma and the profound theological message Our Lady brings.

Pray the novena with us and receive the daily reflections here:
https://theabbotscircle.com/advent-with-our-lady-advent-2025