St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote extensively on Our Lady, Mother of
Jesus.He died in ll53. Devotion to the Mexican Our Lady of Guadalupe
began in 1531.In the spread of the Mexican devotion was St. Bernard
painted with her?

Hello predicador-ga,

I think I’ve found an answer for you on the connection between the
Virgin of Guadalupe and St. Bernard of Clairvaux. My search revealed
that the Virgin of Guadalupe is often included in a group
representations of Mary grouped together as the “Black Virgin.”
Following this lead I discovered that Bernard of Clairvaux had a
special devotion to the Blessed Virgin and wrote many commentaries on
the Canticles. His devotion extended to one the famous Black Virgins
in Europe. According to one of the sources I found, “He is said to
have received three drops of milk taken from the breast of the Black
Virgin of Chatillon while still a boy.” The Virgin of Guadalupe is
famous as an ethnic representation of the Blessed Virgin and it is
likely that writings from St. Bernard of Clairvaux have been
incorporated in the devotional literature. It is possible that there
might be some paintings of the two together, but I have not been able
to confirm this.

I hope this helps in your explorations of the devotions to the Virgin
of Guadalupe. Please don’t hesitate to ask for clarification on any of
this.
czh

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02498d.htm
New Advent -- Catholic Encyclopedia
St. Bernard of Clairvaux

http://www.sancta.org/
    Our Lady Of Guadalupe  -- Patroness of the Americas

http://www.ancientquest.com/embark/blackvirgin.shtml
Ancient Quest by Dr. Karen Ralls
The Black Virgin
“St. Bernard of Clairvaux was born at Fontaines on the outskirts of
Dijon, a place said to have had its own Black Virgin. He is said to
have received three drops of milk taken from the breast of the Black
Virgin of Chatillon while still a boy. He later went on to help the
Templar order expand quickly and to preach the Second Crusade - from
Vezelay, a centre of the cult of the Magdalene and a Black Virgin
site. After his death, he was canonized on the same feast day, 20
August, as the founder of another major Black Virgin site - St.
Amadour of Rocamadour.”

http://saxakali.com/suzar/madonna.htm
Christ's Mother, "The Black Madonna" is worshiped throughout Europe of
all places

http://hometown.aol.com/jywanza1/Madonna.html
Who is the Black Madonna?

http://www.pacificnews.org/jinn/stories/3.12/970603-madonna.html
Seeking Light in Darkness-- Force Behind the Resurgence of the Black
Madonna

http://www.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/blackmdn.html
Black Madonnas
“ … many of the black madonnas exist in France and date from around
the time of the crusades, when Bernard of Clairvaux wrote numerous
commentaries on the Canticles, comparing the soul to the bride, as
well as many on Our Lady.  He was also known to have visited several
shrines of the Black Madonna, for example: Chatillon and Affligem.  In
the Gothic period texts explicitly interpreted the Bride in Canticles
as referring especially to Mary.  Once artistic precedent had been
set, subsequent black madonnas may be explained by artistic convention
rather than theological motivation.”

http://www.udayton.edu/mary/resources/blackm/blackm.html
Black Madonnas: Still Black and Still Venerated
http://www.udayton.edu/mary/resources/links/linkdisplay.php3?catnum=19
Black Madonnas

---

Clarification of Answer by czh-ga on 29 Nov 2002 16:23 PST

SEARCH STRATEGY
"St. Bernard of Clairvaux "guadalupe
"black virgin"
"St. Bernard of Clairvaux "

CZH

The reported miracle of Juan Diego took place about 10 years after the
final victory over Cuauhtemoc and the new regime in Mexico was still
establishing itself. The whole power of the Guadelupe story lies in
the fact that it brings the faith in direct communication with one of
the native peoples of New Spain without any European intermediary or
principal actor. This would influence not only the newly conquered
Mexica but also other Nahuatl-speaking allies of the Spanish such as
the Tlaxcalans and even non-Nahua peoples such as the Tarascans. Not
insignificant was the fact that the event happened near a hill sacred
to a Nahua mother goddess figure, Tonantzin, who presumably would
henceforthe be associated with Our Lady in the minds of the native
people.
At the very least the Guadelupe devotion would not have hindered the
establishment of the Christian Spanish regime. I have never seed a
painting showing of Our Lady of Guadalupe with St. Bernard of
Clairvaux, and, given the forgoing, I would be surprised to see one.