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Every year millions of Catholic faithful make the pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It's the second most visited religious site in the Christian world after the Vatican. According to church tradition the Virgin Mary appeared to a sixteenth century Indian man named Juan Diego, and left proof of her visit with a sacred image that today hangs in the massive basilica dedicated to her. Most Catholics believe this story but not all. In fact there are questions about whether Juan Diego himself even existed. Pope John Paul II has decided that the debate doesn't matter. The pontiff is scheduled to travel to Mexico in late July when he'll canonize Juan Diego as Mexico's first indigenous saint. From Mexico City, Latino USA's Franc Contreras has more.
The pope's scheduled trip to Latin America isn't limited to Mexico and the canonization of Juan Diego. In Guatemala anticipation is growing for Pope John Paul II's visit, his third trip to that country, and his first to declare a Central American saint. Latino USA's Maria Martin is in Antigua, Guatemala where she has more on Hermano Pedro and the pope's visit to Guatemala.
A little known bill in the U.S. Congress might make it easier for undocumented immigrants to get a college education. The 'Dream Act' would allow undocumented students who graduate from American high schools to qualify for federal and state financial aid. Anna Rojas Mejia is the 2002 valedictorian at Castlemont High School in Oakland, California. This summer she's fundraising to attend a University of California school in September.
Singer Irene Farrera has been on tour this summer, introducing American audiences to the folk music of Venezuela. Her latest album 'Serenata' is a collection of songs by Venezuelan composers and some of her own. The album features the musical styles and rhythms of the South American country where she was born. From Los Angeles, Latino USA's Mandalit del Barco has more.
Repository Details
Part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Repository
2300 Red River Street
Austin Texas 78712 United States
(512) 495-4578
bensonspecialcollections@austin.utexas.edu