You're listening to Catholic Sprouts, the daily podcast for Catholic kids that strives to plant seeds of faith.

Hey there are sprouts. Today is Friday, December 9th, 2020. Today is also the feast day of one of my favorite, favorite, favorite saints, Saint Juan Diego. Before we talk about him, though,

let's repeat the verses that we are memorizing

this Advent in response to St. Cecilia's Challenge in the Be a St. Kids Club, verses from the

book of Isaiah chapter 9, verses 5 and 6. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Spirit, amen. For all the boots of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

For all the boots of the trampling warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us, authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named, wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.

So let's talk about Juan Diego.

Now, Juan Diego lived in the 1500s in Mexico.

This is shortly after the Spanish arrived in South and Central America.

And everywhere the Spanish went, they brought along with them monks and priests to bring the Catholic

faith to these places that had not known Jesus.

So the monks in particular,

the Dominicans got to work, evangelizing, and talking to the people that live there. But they had

not very much success. A lot of people weren't really interested in converting. In fact,

one Diego and his wife, wife Maria were some of the

very few people, native people, that converted. So one day, Juan Diego was on his way to Mass. He was

walking by a place called Tepeak Hill, when all of a sudden there appeared to him, a beautiful,

beautiful woman. And she appeared to him a beautiful, beautiful woman.

And she referred to him as her most beloved son.

She talked to him for a while and she told him to go to the bishop and to ask that a chapel be built in this very place in her honor.

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