Vatican Grants Permanent Spiritual Bond to Cancun’s Mary Undoer of Knots Sanctuary

Cancun, Quintana Roo — The Holy See has permanently granted the Sanctuary of Mary, Undoer of Knots in Cancun a spiritual bond of affinity with the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, a distinction that enables the faithful to obtain a plenary indulgence at the shrine.

The sanctuary’s founder and pastor, the Rev. Luis Pablo Garza Aguilar, a priest of the Legionaries of Christ, said the distinction confirms the site as a place of pilgrimage in the Mexican Caribbean.

Plenary Indulgence Available in Cancun

Under the concession, the plenary indulgence is available to the faithful who fulfill the usual conditions — sacramental confession, Communion and prayer for the Pope’s intentions — on the following occasions:

• Feast of St. Mary Major, Aug. 5
• Patronal feast and Marian solemnities
• One day each year chosen by the faithful
• Each pilgrimage made with devotion

Spiritual Bond Expected to Boost Religious Tourism

The sanctuary, founded in 2015 at the initiative of Father Garza Aguilar and supported by the local diocese, is known for its rustic, open-air ecological architecture set in the jungle. It features tunnels of white ribbons and the so-called Plaza of Thanksgiving.

The shrine receives about 30,000 visitors a week, with peaks of 48,000 during Holy Week and up to 100,000 during Christmas festivities, making it one of Mexico’s busiest religious tourism hubs.

To meet growing demand, the sanctuary plans to acquire an adjoining hectare to expand the main chapel, raising its capacity from 450 to 1,000 seated worshipers. It also envisions a hotel-style welcome center with 80 rooms to house pilgrim caravans and sustainable crypts integrated into the surrounding jungle, a concept honored at the National Architecture Biennial of Mexico.