As we approach the release of Not Made By Human Hands: The Miracle of Guadalupe, I want to share what this project has meant to me. The team at Good Catholic and I have been working on this for a long time, and it is, without a doubt, the biggest thing we've ever undertaken. To be frank, I'm not just excited, I'm also a little scared. When a project is this close to your heart, you pour so much of yourself into it, and the thought of finally sharing it is both thrilling and nerve-wracking.
This project has been a labor of love. It is a journey that took us to Mexico to see the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe for ourselves; to stand in the presence of this miraculous image that, according to the laws of nature, shouldn't even exist. In our research for the series, we delved deep into the ancient world of the Aztecs and their tumultuous encounter with the Spanish. We explored a culture steeped in fear, where gods demanded blood and mercy had no face.
Our Lady came into this darkness. She brought a message of love, a visual gospel on a simple tilma that both the Indigenous people and the Spanish could immediately understand, and she changed the world, fast.
Two Cultures Under One Mantle
From the beginning, we wanted to capture not just the history, but the heart of the message Our Lady has for us today. It was through divine providence that we met Alejandro Frances through Fr. Heenan, one of our contributors for the docu-series. During the filming in Mexico, we ate our meals with Alejandro and his crew, and we talked over coffee into the evening at the convent where we all stayed. We traveled together to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe every day and had Mass together. We discussed the film, our families, and our love for Christ and His Church.
When our own team returned from Mexico, we immediately began the serious work of the project, which involved interviewing a wide range of contributors and pulling together crucial b-roll footage from our time there. While many of those interviews made it into the series, others, for the sake of time and flow, did not. Yet, every contributor was essential; they helped us to formulate the story and, to the degree that we can, to probe and understand the great mystery.
As the work progressed, we found ourselves reaching out for local production guidance. We ultimately turned over some of the essential content work to Alejandro and his team, and the result is that this project has been a continued collaboration of trust, evidenced in a shared love for Our Lady.
So, here we are, with the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe fast approaching, our team in the States and Alejandro's team in Mexico. Though we are two cultures, we stand together under the mantle of the Patroness of the Americas. Our Lady of Guadalupe calls us to draw closer to her Son and to unite in love for Him.
Finding Refuge Under Her Mantle
As a mother, I know I fall short, and so I often ask Our Lady to console my children in their sorrows and share in their joys. My trust rests on the conviction, beautifully expressed by Pope Pius XII, that "God gave her a mighty and a sympathetic heart for this great task." is the heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
When she appeared to the humble St. Juan Diego, she came as a mother. In the midst of his fear and anxiety over his dying uncle, she met him with the most beautiful words of comfort: "Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? … Do you need something more?"
These compassionate words are not just for Juan Diego. They are for all of us. In a world that can feel dark and frightening, in a culture that often seems to have lost its way, she comes to us as a mother, offering her protection and pointing us to the only true remedy, her Son, Jesus Christ.
This is why we are telling the story. We want to share it with those who struggle with their faith, those who sometimes doubt, those who are curious, those who hurt, those who love, those who seek. We want to share it with anyone who will listen, helping them probe the essential question of why the tilma remains after all these centuries, and what Our Lady is saying to us today.
We are deeply honored to finally share this episodic film with you. It is our earnest prayer that this docu-series will capture hearts and draw souls closer to Christ, all while offering the rightful honor due to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas. As we release each episode of Not Made By Human Hands over the next few months, we place it in the hands of Our Lord, asking that it truly conveys the truth of the incredible story of the Mother who seeks us out, meets us where we are, and guides us into a profound, transformative encounter with the God who loves us.
Stay tuned in the coming days for the release of the first episode of Not Made By Human Hands: The Miracle of Guadalupe! And in the meantime, visit our Not Made By Human Hands Collection!
