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The angel supporting (Our) Lady (of Guadalupe) testifies to her royalty. To the Aztecs, only kings, queens, and other dignitaries would be carried on the shoulders of someone. The angel is transporting the Lady to the people as a sign that a new age has come. The angel resembles a native Indian, with its dark complexion. Its representation is not of a cherub, but of that of a young male Warrior belonging to the Aztec army, known as “Soldiers of the Sun.” The angel is also said to represent Juan Diego, whose native name was “Cuauhtlatoatzin,” meaning “eagle who speaks.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Villanueva, New Mexico
photographed 8.31.2024