When and by whom was Our Lady of Guadalupe declared “Patroness of the Americas”?
In 1895, Pope Leo did this. In 1945, Pope Pius XII called her “Queen of Mexico and Patroness of the Americas.” In 1999, Pope John Paul II repeated that declaration and made her feast on December 12 an obligatory memorial (always celebrated) on liturgical calendars in the Americas. In fact, most countries around the world have one or more national shrines honoring Mary, often connected to an apparition received in that country.
