The Sanctuary of Mary, Undoer of Knots in Cancún—under the care of the Legionaries of Christ—has been spiritually linked to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, at the invitation of Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the Basilica’s Archpriest. This spiritual bond grants the Sanctuary the grace to offer certain indulgences associated with the Basilica and tangibly strengthens its connection to Rome and the universal Church.
The delivery of the decree in Rome
On September 14, after the Holy Mass celebrated in the Basilica, Cardinal Makrickas delivered the decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary and the twinning parchment in the sacristy, highlighting the affection that Pope Francis professed for this Marian devotion and for the Salus Populi Romani. Father Luis Pablo Garza, L.C., rector of the Sanctuary, recalled that both invocations share the same origin: the trust of the Christian people in the intercession of Mary.
The connection, approved in August by joint decree, will allow perpetual plenary indulgence to be obtained in the Sanctuary of Cancún. For Father Garza, the gesture confirms the pastoral fruitfulness of this place within the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal and is, above all, an invitation to reconciliation and renewed filial trust in Mary. As a visible sign of this communion, a brick from the Holy Door of Santa María la Mayor was given to the Sanctuary.
Presentation of the decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary and the twinning parchment by Cardinal Rolando Makrickas himself—Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major—who highlighted the great affection and devotion Pope Francis holds for this Marian title and for Salus Populi Romani, the venerated image housed within the Basilica.
This affiliation was approved in August through a joint decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary and the Papal Basilica itself; it now enables the faithful to obtain a plenary indulgence at the Cancún Shrine in perpetuity, subject to the conditions established by the Church for such graces. For Fr. Garza, this gesture holds significance beyond the merely juridical: it reflects how a devotion—still relatively new in Mexico—has taken root in the hearts of the faithful, and it confirms the pastoral fruitfulness the site has fostered within the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal. He views it not so much as a privilege, but rather as an invitation: for those who come to the Shrine to find a place conducive to reconciliation, the sacraments, and a renewed, childlike trust in the intercession of Mary.
A bond that expresses communion with the Church
This fact expresses the ecclesial spirit that animates the Congregation’s apostolic action. The Constitutions remind us that the Legionary follows Christ through “the profession and living out of the evangelical counsels, fraternal life in common, and ardent apostolic action” (CLC, 2)—an action lived always within the Church and at her service.
From left to right: Don Alfonso Larena and Perla Ballesteros, benefactors of the Shrine and members of the Shrine Council; Fr. Ferney Cartagena, L.C., administrator of the Rome Delegation of the Legionaries of Christ; Cardinal Rolando Makrickas, Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major; Fr. Luis Pablo Garza, L.C., rector of the Shrine; and Fr. José Cárdenas, L.C., general administrator of the Legionaries of Christ.
As a visible gesture of communion with the Basilica, a brick from the Holy Door of Santa Maria Maggiore was given to the Sanctuary.
Fr. Garza with Fr. Carlos Gutiérrez, L.C., Director General of the Legion. In his hands, a retable featuring the image of Our Lady of Sorrows.
A sanctuary born of the convergence of many wills.
The project was born in 2015, when the need for a church in the Polígono Sur of Cancún, the call of Mons. Pedro Pablo Elizondo, L.C., the devotion of Father Garza to this devotion—known in a sanctuary in São Paulo—and the donation of land by a family came together. His arrival in Cancún was almost coincidental: after blessing a house in an area without a temple, the bishop asked him to build the church there. Thus, on March 22, 2016, a project then almost unknown in the diocese began and today has become one of the most beloved Marian devotions in Quintana Roo.
Built on a plot of virgin jungle, the temple features a Caribbean style and an eco-friendly design, incorporating wood, palm-thatched roofs, and pathways winding through the vegetation that invite quiet reflection. On May 31, 2024, it was consecrated as a Sanctuary-Parish under the care of the Legion of Christ, with Fr. Garza serving as rector and parish priest, and Fr. Juan Pablo Ledesma, L.C., as vicar.
Today, it is a spiritual oasis that welcomes thousands of pilgrims each week—regularly around 25,000. The white slats bearing petitions and the colored ones expressing gratitude have multiplied to such an extent that the Plaza of Gratitude had to be built to display them.
More information about the Sanctuary here.
Photographs of the Sanctuary taken from https://desatadoradenudos.org/
