SALT LAKE CITY — On Dec. 11, the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Cathedral of the Madeleine was gaily dressed for the occasion.
Beginning with a reenactment of the apparitions where Our Lady left a miraculous image of herself on Saint Juan Diego’s tilma, the students in the cathedral’s catechism classes dressed up as the main characters of the story: Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Juan Diego and his uncle, Juan Bernardino, and Fray Juan de Zumárraga,the bishop to whom Juan Diego reported the appearance of Our Lady on the hill of Tepeyac in 1531.
After the reenactment, those present recited a rosary in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
As night fell, people received candles in order to participate in the procession led by Fr. Martin Diaz, the cathedral rector; Fr. Joseph Delka, parochial vicar; and the Knights of Columbus. After singing as they processed through the streets with an image of Our Lady, people returned to the cathedral to hear some musical entertainment prior to the 11 p.m. Mass at which Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided.
“We joyfully gather as a faith community to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas,” Bishop Solis said to the hundreds of people gathered for the celebration.
“It is a special day to give glory to God, and fitting honor to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who appeared hundreds of years ago in the hills of Tepeyac before Juan Diego in a most marvelous fashion,” Bishop Solis continued, switching between English and Spanish as he spoke.
Some of those present were dressed in traditional Mexican costumes as they listened carefully to the bishop describe the four times that the Virgin appeared before Juan Diego at the Hill of Tepeyac in Mexico City, the same place that the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe now firmly stands.
“Mary appeared as a beautiful young Indian maiden with her hands folded, indicating praying to God. … Her blue mantle symbolized the royalty of the gods, and the blue color symbolized life and unity. … The stars on the mantle signified the beginning of the new civilization,” the bishop said.
The message that Our Lady of Guadalupe gave was one full of hope because she offered great compassion, mercy and justice, Bishop Solis said.
“She said: ‘Am I not here, I whom am your mother?’ Our Lady of Guadalupe was an alternative to the misery they suffered by inviting them to transform their pain and suffering through the building of a new temple in the Americas where everyone is welcome and treated equally, without differences of race and color of skin,” Bishop Solis said, speaking of the native Mexican American Indians who at the time were suffering from the Spanish conquest.
The Mass was followed by Las Mañanitas, a traditional birthday song, and then a small reception.
The next day, Dec. 12, Bishop Solis visited Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Salt Lake City.
This was a very special visit for the parishioners because they have not had a bishop celebrate their patroness’ feast day with them for more than 15 years, said Sotero Valerio, a member of the parish.
The parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe started their celebration of the feast day of their patroness with a procession from Rose Park Elementary School. The procession included dancers, music and several cars carrying either small shrines of Our Lady or with representations of the apparitions.
As the procession arrived at the church, some of the community members paraded inside carrying flags of the different countries represented by the congregation.
Banda Lobo, a popular band in Utah, sang some songs to the Virgin, then the Mass began, with Bishop Solis presiding. Fr. Jose Fidel Barrera, the parish administrator, concelebrated.
As the bishop welcomed everyone, the crowd filled every inch of space within the church, and some parishioners had tears on their faces.
“This is a great moment. I am filled with joy and gratitude,” Florentina Gamez said.
In his homily, Bishop Solis said that “the apparition of Our Lady is an important catechesis or a revelation proclaimed and carried out through the spiritual and symbolic language of the indigenous people. St. Juan Diego was chosen by God to be an instrument of the good news of God’s love when our Lady appeared to him in the Tepeyac.”
For God, every person is important, Bishop Solis said. “In the eyes of God everyone is valuable, not only the rich, famous and the powerful. God sees in your littleness his power and grace.”
Stay Connected With Us