Miracle of the Roses by Octavio Ocampo

Juan Diego returned to the spot where he had met the lady and there she appeared to him a second time. "Go again to the Bishop and tell him that I wish the church be built on this spot," she spoke.

Juan again returned and asked for an audience with the Bishop.

This time after a much longer wait he was again brought before the Bishop.
After Juan had recounted his second meeting with the lady, the Bishop said, "If it is the Virgin, who speaks with you, then bring me some proof of this!"

For the third time Juan returned to the spot where he had met the Virgin, and again she appeared to him. He proceeded to tell her that the Bishop wanted some proof from him to show that he really spoke to her.

Now at this time there were no roses in the New World, and it was the middle of December. But when the Virgin placed her hand on the earth, roses suddenly grew and bloomed in moments. Juan took the roses and piled them in the front of his tabard, and rushed off to the Bishop.

Pictured in Octavio Ocampo’s painting Miracle of the Roses is the culminating scene of this story where Juan Diego comes into the Bishop’s presence bearing the proof from the Virgin. He lets go of his tabard showering the astonished Bishop with roses, only to find that the symbol of the Madonna is now indelibly marked on the front of his tabard.

His tabard can still be seen in the cathedral that was built to honor the Virgin.