The Deacon's Bench
Yes. Believed to be the only relic of its kind in the United States, part of St. Juan Diego’s miraculous tilma is on permanent display in a side chapel of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
The relic is a small piece that was detached from the tilma and given to Archbishop John Cantwell of Los Angeles by the Archbishop of Mexico City, Luis Maria Martinez in 1941.
It has been in the archives of the Los Angeles Archdiocese under the care of Monsignor Francis Weber since 1981.
The faithful believe that the image of the Tilma, or cloak, of a poor Indian named Juan Diego, was miraculously created by the Virgin Mary in 1531. The image – which continues to baffle scientists – is now the most recognizable religious symbol in Latin America, and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe is a favorite of Catholics throughout the Americas.
St. Juan Diego was canonized on July 31, 2002 in front of an enormous crowd of over 5 million people. Up to 20 million visit the Shrine in Mexico City annually, making it the most visited in the world.
Another shot, from a visit I made to the cathedral last May, below:
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