‘God runs to comfort His sons, even in a prison’
Southern Nebraska Register
Scott Watts of Guadalupe Missions gave a presentation about Our Lady of Guadalupe May 31 to inmates at the Nebraska State Penitentiary.
Our Lady of Guadalupe first appeared to a poor, indigenous man of faith named Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico in 1531. Our Lady asked him to build her a shrine in that same spot. Juan Diego took her message to the archbishop, but was initially dismissed.
During a second encounter with Our Lady, she told Juan Diego to gather flowers, which she arranged in his tilma—a flimsy cloak woven of plant fibers that would typically only last about a year before falling apart. When Juan Diego presented the blossoms to the archbishop, the Lady’s image was revealed on his tilma, and it is still visible on the intact tilma today.
Our Lady of Guadalupe’s appearance led to the conversion of more than nine million indigenous Mexican people within a decade, an evangelical movement unmatched to this day. Not only has the tilma been miraculously preserved for nearly 500 years, it has been studied by various scholars, and none can explain how the image appeared on the cloak. The basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, which houses the tilma, welcomes more than 10 million pilgrims each year.
Watts, a convert to the Catholic faith and now a member of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Wahoo, has a passion for Our Lady of Guadalupe. As a lay missionary with Hope for the Poor, which takes Catholic groups to serve the poor in and around Mexico City, Watts was able to be with many people as they visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe to see the miraculous tilma. Over time, he developed a wealth of knowledge about Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Guadalupe Missions was formally founded in 2023 to share Our Lady’s message. Watts has presented in many places in the United States, and even in Ireland and Mexico. He brings a full-size image of the tilma to his presentations, which shows many signs and symbols indicating the handiwork of God. He also has samples of the tilma’s material so people can feel how fragile it is, confirming it is truly miraculous that the tilma has not disintegrated over the last five centuries, and also how impossible it would be for any human to draw an image on such a garment.
Related item: Watts gave his presentation at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in December
The organization had its busiest year in 2025, presenting to more than 5,000 attendees. By Easter of this year, he had presented to more than half that number.
The May 31 presentation took place right after Sunday Mass celebrated by Father Timothy Danek. Watts was offered about an hour and a half to present and to invite the men to come forward to interact with the image.
Watts had previously given the presentation at the penitentiary once before – last September. It was so well received, they invited him back again. Watts was pleased to do so, even though it took a fair amount of extra preparation – paperwork, background checks and a description of the content.
“The hardest part for me was itemizing all of the different artifacts (and visual aids) that I would bring in,” he said. “I think I left the main guard at the security entrance pretty exhausted, going through the cart of bags, cases and luggage that I’d brought with me! (They) were all in good humor about it, though.”
It was all worth the effort, Watts said, and the message was well received.
“St. Juan Diego’s example of receptivity to God in the routine moments of life is really powerful,” he said. “It seems even more appropriate in the environment that these incarcerated men are in. They have their routines and they don’t have a lot of control over when they eat or sleep, or where and when they go anywhere. St. Juan Diego’s testimony is based around a commute to church – a routine hike of about five miles that was the same each week for years. There was no reason to think that anything different would happen in December of 1531. But little did he know that his openness to follow the song of a few birds on a desolate hill would lead to the largest conversion in recorded history!”
He added that when the presentation gets to “the signs and symbols” that are on the image and its miraculous nature, “it’s wonderful to see everyone light up!”
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on St. Juan Diego’s tilma is one of the most scientifically scrutinized religious artifacts in the world.
“We have 500 years of scientific inquiry that helps to point to the supernatural character of the image,” Watts said. “It’s a great way to introduce or get your foot in the door for those who are skeptical of miracles to start to be open to the possibility!”
Presenting to the inmates was in a sense no different than presenting to any group of people who are curious about Mary, or God, or miracles. His audiences are typically comprised of people who “want to grow in their faith,” Watts said. However, those attending in the state penitentiary carried “more weight.”
“There was a sense that they were really hungry for some hope, some encouragement, to be reminded that they have a spiritual mother who is with them even in prison,” he said. “Giving each of them a holy card of the image of Guadalupe was like giving them a new picture of a beloved relative to take with them back to their cells.”
He also said they were more engaged and animated than the average Midwest parish mission.
“When they got excited about something they weren’t afraid to stand up and applaud or cheer, which made it really fun to present to them,” he said. “They gave, I think, four standing ovations at the talk in September… and they stopped the talk midway through with applause when I mentioned that my wife and I have another child due in September. There were a lot of dads in the crowd.”
Watts was moved to see the men interact with the image of Our Blessed Mother.
“Seeing some of these very rough-looking guys extending a tattooed hand onto the image and seeing the look in their eyes and then in the reactions of others around them… before experiencing God’s grace through Mary themselves,” he recalled. “It’s just amazing to see how even in a place that you can only imagine must be so dark at times and so lonely, to see the hope and the realization that Mary is truly there with them, that God is truly present with them even there, even in whatever circumstances brought them there… it’s beyond words, witnessing the mercy of God as He runs to comfort His sons, even in a prison.”
Watts will share Our Lady’s message next at Boys Town in Omaha for two events – one for students and one for staff. He’ll then promote evangelization efforts in Ireland in July and August, and he’ll speak at the Catholic Medical Associations’ annual education conference in Phoenix in September, just before the due date of that baby the inmates applauded. Watts was pleased to include that the family’s doctor will attend the Catholic Medical Association conference as well.
Watts can present on Our Lady of Guadalupe in English or in Spanish. To schedule, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information about the presentations, visit guadalupemissions.org.
