Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

The image they were going to bury: the Talpa Renewal

Talpa de Allende, Jalisco (Mexico) (September 19, 1644)

The image of Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa, in Jalisco, was originally a small carving made of cornstalk paste, about thirty-eight centimeters tall, crafted by Tarascan indigenous people and brought to Talpa towards the end of the 16th century. Over the years, the humble image became corroded and deteriorated, until it was badly damaged by the mid-17th century.

On September 19, 1644, the parish priest, Pedro Rubio Félix, decided to remove the relic due to its poor condition and bury it in a hole dug in the sacristy. He entrusted an Indigenous woman, María Tenanchi, with wrapping it in old tablecloths before burial. And here, according to tradition, the miracle occurred.

The pious tale recounts that, upon touching the image, rays of fire and an intense light burst forth from it; the chapel filled with clouds and angels, and several of those present fainted from the shock. Once the initial shock had passed, they saw that the deteriorated image had been transformed: it no longer showed signs of woodworm or cracks, but was renewed, radiant, and beautiful. Tradition holds that it ceased to be made of sugarcane paste and became as firm as cedar, incorruptible. This event is known as the "Miraculous Renewal."

The editor must make a distinction. It is relatively well-documented, with ecclesiastical support and chronicles, that an old image made of sugarcane paste, brought from Michoacán, existed. This image deteriorated, and the parish priest decided to bury it, on the traditional date of September 19, 1644. Also recorded is the pontifical coronation of the image on May 12, 1923, and the great diocesan pilgrimage from Tepic that dates back to that year. The diocese recognizes and celebrates the event as a miracle.

In contrast, the detailed description of the fire rays, the clouds, the angels, and the fainting spells is a traditional pious account, not verifiable beyond later devotional testimonies; and the language of a "change of substance" of matter is a theological-devotional way of narrating, not a technical report: there is no scientific analysis to confirm it.

The link with the Rosary is direct and nominal: the very title is Our Lady of the Rosary, her liturgical feast of October 7 is one of the main ones, and the pilgrims —up to three million a year, many on foot— arrive praying the Rosary to fulfill their promises and give thanks for favors.