Catholic World Report

Our Lady of Guadalupe statue untouched by Hurricane Otis’ destructive winds in Mexico

Hurricane Otis
Aerial view of damages caused by the passage of Hurricane Otis in Guerrero State, Mexico, on Oct. 28, 2023. | Credit: RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images

A statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, including a cloth mantle, was left intact amid the devastation caused by Hurricane Otis, which struck the coastal city of Acapulco and other areas of the Mexican state of Guerrero last week with wind gusts of up to 200 miles per hour.

The Category 5 hurricane, which made landfall near Acapulco at 12:25 a.m. local time on Oct. 25, left at least 46 dead and serious damage to hotels, homes, and businesses throughout the state.

La Quebrada is a 148-foot-high cliff on the shores of the Pacific in Acapulco. Since 1934, young divers have leapt from the height to plunge into a channel 23 feet wide and 13 feet deep, a very popular spectacle among tourists. Before each jump, the divers cross themselves and commend themselves to the Virgin of Guadalupe, whose image was installed at the location.

In 2022, Father Eduardo Chávez, one of the greatest experts on the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, blessed the image placed on the cliff.

Reporter Edgar Galicia of Azteca Noticias recently toured the area and discovered that the small statue placed in the grotto had not suffered any damage during the passage of Hurricane Otis. The only damage observed from the storm, which had winds exceeding 185 miles per hour, was to some of the lights that adorned the image.

“It’s truly a beautiful thing,” Galicia said in a video posted Nov. 1 on X, “ to know that this Virgin, who for many years has ‘made the sign of the cross’ over many divers here, is doing well, because it’s from here where they throw themselves into the sea.”

The Virgin Mary, ‘Mother of Hope’

Given the surprising occurrence, Father Rafael Valencia, vicar general and spokesman for the Archdiocese of Acapulco, spoke with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, about the importance of the Virgin Mary as a source of consolation in times of adversity.

“The Virgin Mary is the mother of hope. In this difficult moment, she encourages us to hold firm the hope that springs from our faith in Jesus Christ Our Lord, to feel accompanied by her and her son, her Jesus,“ Valencia said.

The priest also stressed that the presence of holy Mary, “as mother,” helps us experience “the consolation and closeness of God, who consoles us and helps us.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.


If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.


About Catholic News Agency 12569 Articles
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*