Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and School in Hermosa Beach have displayed a new piece of art: a glittering mosaic on the exterior wall of the parish office, facing Prospect Avenue.

What's the reason for the new mosaic, which was installed last week? The church is starting "Phase 3" of its rebuilding project, creating a preschool and upgrading school facilities to meet 21st century needs.

"We’ve been doing a lot of things here," said Father Ray Mallett. "The church, our friary, and now the school and preschool."

Each phase of parish work has started with a public dedication to a patron saint. Now this one is dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe—a vision of the Mother of God that was seen in Mexico nearly 500 years ago.

Mallett said the church will celebrate with an event on Sunday and Monday. Monday marks the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The church will be filled with roses, and the bishop will preside over a special mass at 7 p.m. Monday.

The church’s new mosaic was designed and constructed by artist Sergio Hernández-Madera of Guadalajara, Mexico, based on the iconic image of the church’s namesake.

The original picture of "Our Lady of Guadalupe" hangs in Mexico City, imprinted on a piece of cactus cloth—after 480 years, the picture is still clear and vibrant, defying scientific explanation.

The explanation of faith is that the picture was miraculously created.

In December 1531, a man named Juan Diego told the Spanish Bishop that he’d seen a lady from heaven, and she wanted a church built on the hill where she appeared.

The bishop asked for proof, so Juan Diego went back to the lady. Speaking in Nahuatl, his native language, she told him to gather the roses that bloomed behind him.

Remember, it was December, so finding roses on a hill was a miracle in itself.

Juan Diego gathered the roses in his cactus-cloth tilma, took them to the bishop, and when he opened the tilma to display the flowers, the picture of the Blessed Virgin was revealed.

That is the picture that the new mosaic on Hermosa Beach's church portrays, in bits of glass tile.

When the mosaic arrived, it had been damaged in shipment, so the artist flew north for a supply of tiles to make it good as new, he said, and the result has been stopping traffic since last week.

Hernández-Madera studied architecture and painting at the University of Guadalajara, and said "mosaic is a way of painting."

Hernández Madera said he credits his abuelita—his grandmother—for his career in mosaic training. She used to make mosaics as a hobby. He learned from her, and still has some of the mosaics that she completed.

"The work his grandmother did he doesn’t sell," said Father Lazaro Sandoval of the parish.

As Hernández-Madera does not speak English, Sandoval translated for the artist during his visit to Hermosa.

Already people have knocked on the rectory door and asked how to get in touch with the mosaic artist, to have work done in their own homes, Sandoval said. One woman even wants a replica of the church’s mosaic.

Those interested can reach Hernández Madera at his website: herma.com.mx.

His artwork and installations adorn private homes across Mexico and the U.S.; and in addition to religious subjects, his mosaics of mermaids, seascapes, landscapes, and flowers line swimming pools at resorts and crown the entrances of public buildings.