What is the Missionary Image?

The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Catholic Church-authorized digital replica of the original Guadalupe tilma.

While there are many pictures in circulation and routinely taken of the original tilma above the main altar at the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, the touring Missionary Image is the only one with a Catholic Church-recognized title, mission and certification.

The Image coming to Orange County is 4 feet by 6 feet, the exact size of the original miraculous image of the tilma. It dates to 1999, when a high-resolution digital image was made from the original tilma. Four Missionary Images were made from the digital image, one of which will be in Orange County.

The four Missionary Images are the only Images that were created with the full control and approval of the Catholic Church.

Like the original, the Missionary Image has been associated with miraculous phenomena, such as doctors hearing a human heartbeat where the Virgin Mary carries the Christ Child and reports of oil dripping from the Image.

The guardian of the Missionary Images is Dan Lynch of St. Albans, Vermont. Mr. Lynch is the director of a nonprofit tax-exempt apostolate that coordinates the journey of the Images.  He is also a retired judge of the State of Vermont, an author, public speaker, and audio and video producer. 

Why is the Missionary Image in Orange County?

Saint Pope John Paul II asked Our Lady of Guadalupe to “visit” as a “pilgrim of faith” to every diocese, parish and family in America as part of the New Evangelization effort. The U.S. bishops entrusted this evangelization to Our Lady of Guadalupe when they said, “We entrust our commitment the giving birth with new fervor to the life of the Gospel in our hemisphere, to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. She truly was the first Christ-bearer by her maternal intercession, may her faithful sons and daughters be renewed and discover afresh the joy and splendor and promise of being bearers of the good news.”

The Missionary Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe are the only four images in the world commissioned by the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to journey as Missionary Images. Through the mission of New Evangelization, the Catholic Church hopes to bring conversions, a culture of life and civilization of love, for which St. John Paul II prayed.