MEXICO CITY — There’s a saying in Mexico: “Not all Mexicans are Catholic, but all are Guadalupan.”

The phrase conveys the deep connection between Our Lady of Guadalupe and the country’s identity. In the nation of 130 million people — the majority of whom identify as Catholic — this apparition of the Virgin Mary carries a symbolic force that often surpasses religious belief.

“After Mexico emerged as an independent nation, she came to embody not just religious devotion but a sense of national identity,” said Nydia Rodríguez, director of a museum dedicated to the Virgin at Mexico City’s Basilica. The sanctuary draws up to 12 million pilgrims during her feast day each Dec. 12.

Mexico’s official emblem is an eagle perched on a cactus while devouring a serpent. The Virgin’s likeness is often

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