Basilica Minor · National Shrine · Diocese of Brownsville
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Our History

  • A LEGACY OF FAITH

A Century Of Faith

For generations, pilgrims have journeyed to sacred sites for spiritual enrichment. The Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle in the Rio Grande Valley serves as such a beacon, drawing hundreds of seekers every day. With its annual visitor count surpassing a million, it stands among the most frequented Marian shrines in the United States

The inception of this sacred site dates back to 1920, when Reverend Alfonso Jalbert, O.M.I., established a humble wooden chapel in San Juan, Texas. This chapel was initially a mission church affiliated with St. Margaret Mary Church in Pharr, Texas. If your mother has passed, you can continue to honor her by offering a Mass, visiting her grave, praying the rosary, and having her picture in a visible place in your house. This will not only allow you to cherish memories with her but will showcase the remembrance she has for you as well at every moment, whether she is living or deceased.

The veneration of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle has its roots in the town of San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, which emerged near Guadalajara after the Spanish colonization. There, Spanish missionaries placed a revered image of the Immaculate Conception within the town’s church.

Descargue el folleto de historia en formato PDF
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1623
DEVOTION BORN
· MÉXICO
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1920
ORIGINAL
CHAPEL
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1980
BASILICA
DEDICATED
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1999
MINOR BASILICA

miraculous event

evento milagroso

A miraculous event in 1623 catalyzed the devotion to Our Lady of San Juan. An acrobat’s family, performing in the area, suffered a tragedy when their youngest daughter fatally fell during a routine.

Prayer in Grief

Oración en el duelo

In their grief, an indigenous caretaker of the church urged the parents to lay the image of the Virgin Mary atop their daughter, while she invoked the Virgin’s intercession.

Miracle Begins

El milagro comienza

The child miraculously returned to life, which ignited the widespread devotion to “La Virgen de San Juan,” a devotion that now extends beyond Mexico into the United States.

Azpiazu Appointed

Azpiazu nombrado

Years later, in 1949, Reverend Jose Maria Azpiazu, O.M.I., took charge of St. John the Baptist parish in San Juan, Texas.

Miraculous Tragedy

Bishop Mariano S. Garriaga later endorsed the construction of a new church, culminating in the establishment of the Shrine in 1954, dedicated to the Virgen de San Juan. At this juncture, San Juan was part of the Corpus Christi Diocese. However, disaster struck in 1970 when a light aircraft crashed into the Shrine during Mass. Miraculously, despite the destruction and a loss valued at $1.5 million, there were no casualties among those present; only the pilot perished.

It was seen as a divine protection by Our Lady of San Juan. In the midst of flames, Father Patricio Dominguez, O.M.I., and sacristan Pedro Rodriguez salvaged the statue of Our Lady, and Ron Anderson, a Diocesan Priest, saved the Blessed Sacrament.

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From Ruins to Basilica

Following the calamity, the Shrine’s dining hall temporarily became the statue’s sanctuary. By 1972, Bishop John J. Fitzpatrick had delineated the Shrine’s administration from the parish, embarking on the construction of a new church and an even grander shrine on adjacent land. The cornerstone of the new Shrine was laid in 1976, and by 1980, a grand dedication ceremony took place, attended by Cardinal Medeiros, Bishop Fitzpatrick, and a congregation of 50,000.

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops conferred the title of national Shrine upon Our Lady of San Juan del Valle in 1998. In a testament to its significance, Pope John Paul II bestowed upon it the honor of a minor Basilica in 1999. This Shrine remains a testament to faith, resilience, and the enduring grace of the Virgin Mary.

Download the history brochure as a PDF - English
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— Tota pulchra es, Maria —