Encountering Our Lady of Guadalupe: Giovanna Redondo on the Story Behind the Pilgrim Mother – 08/01/2026

Segment 1 — Bishop's Reflections Bishop Joensen opens the show on the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, honoring the presence of Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ — member of the influential St. Louis Jesuits and resident at the Creighton University Retreat Center in Griswold, Iowa — and looking ahead to the August 1 feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, patron of moral theologians. He reflects on St. Ignatius's own spiritual conversion and the founding of the Society of Jesus. Looking ahead, Bishop Joensen shares that he'll celebrate baptism and Eucharist at Saint Peter Vietnamese Church, and previews his upcoming trip to the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in Denver, hosted by Archbishop James Golka, August 3–6, 2026. Segment 2 — Interview with Giovanna Redondo Giovanna Redondo, general coordinator of the Pilgrim Mother pilgrimage, joins Bishop Joensen and Jean Thill to discuss the six-year journey of the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue across the United States. Redondo traces the project's roots to a 2006 visit to Chicago and shares how the pilgrimage — now marking the 495th anniversary of the Guadalupe apparitions in 2026 en route to the 500th in 2031 — was born from the devotion of lay Catholics working in communion with the Church. She details the statue's creation by Mexican sculptor Jorge Ismael Rodríguez, including its prosthetic eyes and donated human hair, and describes the roughly 45-minute bilingual devotional experience — including a narrated retelling of the apparition, music, and a ribbon-petition tradition connecting parishes to a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. She also previews the pilgrimage's next stops in California, and its eventual conclusion at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Illinois, under Rector Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez. Segment 3 — Wrap-Up and Local Schedule Bishop Joensen closes with the full schedule for the Pilgrim Mother statue's visit to the Diocese of Des Moines: Saint Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines — through August 4 Immaculate Heart of Mary, Ankeny — August 6–13 Saint Boniface, Waukee — August 15–21 Saint Bernard, Osceola — August 23–September 2 Corpus Christi, Council Bluffs — September 4–11 Full schedule details: https://www.dmdiocese.org Bishop Joensen closes with reflections drawn from Archbishop Luis María Martínez's Am I Not Your Mother? Reflections on Our Lady of Guadalupe, and shares thoughts on Mary's presence in the lives of the faithful. Support for Iowa Catholic Radio and Making It Personal is provided by Serra Vocations Ministry. Learn more at JoinSerra.org and IowaCatholicRadio.com. #OurLadyOfGuadalupe #PilgrimMother #CatholicPodcast #BishopJoensen #DioceseOfDesMoines #IowaCatholicRadio #MakingItPersonal #VirgenDeGuadalupe #CatholicFaith #SaintAmbroseCathedral #MadrePeregrina #CatholicVocations #FaithJourney #JuanDiego #CatholicNews Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our StationsLINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.