Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrated across the Archdiocese
By NADIA MARIA SMITH
CS&T Staff Writer
WEST GROVE — With a growing population of Spanish-speaking Catholics,
traditions such as the annual celebration of the feast of Our Lady of
Guadalupe are being held in more and more parishes throughout the Archdiocese.
This year, Cardinal Justin Rigali will celebrate the feast on Wednesday,
Dec. 12, with Mass at 7:30 p.m. at the Misión Santa María
at Assumption B.V.M. Parish.
The evening will include song, dance and special foods, as part of the
tradition of Mexican Catholics to commemorate the Blessed Mother’s
appearance in 1531 to St. Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican convert.
Through him, Mary left the Mexican people a tilma, or cloak, that bears
her image. It remains intact 500 years later, in the Basilica of Our Lady
of Guadalupe in Mexico City — and the image it bears is still unexplained
by science.
At the time Mary appeared, Spanish missionaries who had come to the New
World with the conquistadors had been having little success converting
the people of Mexico, in part because of the conquerors’ mistreatment.
Then the Blessed Mother began appearing to Juan Diego. “She raised
[the Mexican people] and entrusted them with a mission,” said Missionary
Sister of the Holy Trinity Sister Maria Lauren Donohue, the coordinator
for Hispanic Evangelization for South Philadelphia.
“They were a suffering people …,” Sister Mary Lauren
said. “She cared about the things they cared about. … She
identified with them.”
Within a short time, six million native Mexicans had been baptized Christians.
Our Lady of Guadalupe was called the “star of evangelization”
by Pope John Paul II because she showed how best to evangelize, Sister
Maria Lauren said: “We need to speak the language of the people,
care about what they care about, and entrust them with a mission.”
The Mexican community has embraced the Catholic faith because they saw
God through Mary, she said. “That opened the door for them to embrace
Jesus — because of her drawing near to them, and being so accessible
to them as a mother.”
Parishes are increasingly following in Mary’s footsteps, celebrating
her appearance in order to show their love and concern for their Mexican
members.
Along with Assumption B.V.M. Parish, St. Thomas of Aquinas Parish in South
Philadelphia will also be celebrating the feast day in grand style, Sister
Maria Lauren said.
That parish will have a Mass at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11, followed
by Las Mañanitas, a feast or birthday song traditionally sung to
the Blessed Mother at midnight.
Then, on Dec. 12, hundreds will process from Annunciation B.V.M. Church
in South Philadelphia to nearby St. Thomas Aquinas Church for Mass and
a festive reception.
Also celebrating with hundreds of participants will be Our Lady of Fatima
Parish in Bensalem.
There, Las Mañanitas will be sung at 5 a.m. on Dec. 12. That evening,
people will return for a 7 p.m. procession and a Mass celebrated by Bishop
Felipe Padilla Cardona of the Diocese of Tehuantepec in the Mexican state
of Oaxaca.
“It’s getting bigger every year,” said Father John Meyers,
pastor of Our Lady of Fatima. “Their passionate devotion is an inspiration
to anyone who witnesses it.”
Father Meyers is especially pleased that nearby parishes will be hosting
their own celebrations — including Immaculate Conception Parish
in Levittown, St. Isidore Parish in Quakertown and St. John Bosco Parish
in Hatboro.
At Our Lady of Fatima Church, he said, “there are usually 1,000
people who come to the celebration. We can only fit 380 people in the
church, so the rest of the people stand outside in the cold.”
CS&T staff writer Nadia Maria Smith can be reached at npozo@adphila.org
or (215) 965-4614.
Join
the celebrations
Below are some of the area parishes that will be celebrating the feast
of Our Lady of Guadalupe. All are welcome to attend. If your parish will
be celebrating and is not listed, please call the Office for Hispanic
Catholics at (215) 667-2820, and ask to be added to the list.
Bensalem
Our Lady of Fatima
Street Road and Mechanicsville Street, 19020
Contact: (215) 639-4254
Our Lady of Fatima Parish will begin its celebration by serenading the
Blessed Mother with Las Mañanitas at 5 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12.
At 7 p.m. on the same day, there will be an outdoor Marian procession
followed by Mass celebrated by Bishop Felipe Padilla Cardona of Mexico.
Bristol
St. Mark
1025 Radcliffe Street, 19007
Contact: ( 215) 785-4121
St. Mark Parish will celebrate with Mass at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9,
followed by a dedication and celebration.
Hatboro
St. John Bosco
235 East County Line Road, 19040
Contact: (215) 672-7280 or Gerry Young at (215) 672-7462.
St. John Bosco Parish will begin its celebration with an all-night Eucharistic
adoration prayer vigil, beginning after the Spanish-language Mass at 7
p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8.
At 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, there will be a Marian procession through the
surrounding streets, followed by Mass at 6 p.m. in the church. After Mass
there will be a reception with live entertainment in the school gym.
Levittown
Immaculate Conception
5201 Emilie Road, 19057
Contact: (215) 946-1638 or Sergio Rodriguez at (215) 783-2458
Immaculate Conception Parish will begin its celebration with Las Mañanitas
at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, followed by a breakfast reception.
At 6 p.m. that day, there will be a rosary and outdoor procession, followed
by a reenactment of the apparition of the Blessed Mother to St. Juan Diego
at 7 p.m. in the Church. Mass will celebrated at 8 p.m. and a reception
will follow.
Philadelphia
St. Thomas Aquinas
1719 Morris Street
Contact: (215) 334-2312
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish will celebrate Mass and Las Mañanitas
at 11 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11.
At 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, there will be a procession to St. Thomas
Aquinas Church from nearby Annunciation Parish, with Mass at 7:30 p.m.
at St. Thomas Aquinas. A reception will follow Mass in the lower hall.
St. Michael
Second and Jefferson streets
Contact: (21) 739-2358
St. Michael Parish will celebrate with Mass at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec.
9.
Pottstown
St. Aloysius
Beech and Hanover streets, 19464
Contact: (610) 326-5877
St. Aloysius Parish will celebrate with Mass at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec.
9.
Quakertown
St. Isidore
2545 W. Pumping Station Road, 18951
Contact: (215) 536-4389
St. Isidore Parish will celebrate with mariachis and Las Mañanitas
at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11, followed by Mass. After Mass there will
be a reception with traditional Mexican food and hot chocolate.
West Grove
Misión Santa María at
Assumption B.V.M. Parish
300 State Road,19390
Contact: (610) 268-3365
Cardinal Justin Rigali will celebrate Mass at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec.
12, at the Misión Santa María at Assumption B.M. Parish.
A reception will follow.
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