By Tribune staff

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be celebrated at St. Theodore Catholic Church in Albert Lea on Tuesday.

Morning prayers honoring Mary will be held at 5 a.m. in the church. Attendees are asked to bring flowers to help decorate the altar of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

The procession with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot behind the church and continue through downtown streets.

At 6 p.m., Mass will be celebrated in the church with Bishop Bernard Harrington. There will be a potluck meal and fiesta following the Mass. People are invited to bring their dishes to the kitchen area of Marian Hall before Mass. Beverages will be provided.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is based on the appearances of the Virgin Mary (Our Lady) to an

Indian named Juan Diego near Mexico City.

The first appearance came on Dec. 9, 1531. Diego was told to visit the bishop and tell him the woman wanted a shrine built at this site in her honor. The bishop was skeptical regarding the message being relayed by the Indian peasant.

After several days and more visits with Our Lady, Diego was told by the bishop to bring a positive sign to prove he was actually in contact with the Virgin Mary.

The Indian relayed this message to Our Lady. She told him to go to the top of a nearby hill named Tepeyac. There he would find flowers. Diego was to gather up these flowers and take them to the bishop. Despite the freezing

weather that December day 475 years ago, the Indian went up to the top of the hill and gathered up the fresh roses he found. He placed the flowers in his tilma, or robe.

When Diego went to the bishop with the roses, he unfolded his robe. That&8217;s when the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared inside this garment. And it&8217;s this famous miracle of the image which has been venerated by the Hispanic people of Mexico and the United States for nearly five centuries.

The image, still visible today, is now displayed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.