Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
December 1, 2005

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12, is celebrated to remember when 

the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, an indigenous man, on three occasions in December 1531 in Mexico.

"This is an important feast for the Hispanics in the United States because in general the Hispanics are deeply religious," said Juan Garcia, assistant director of Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Sioux City.

Garcia explained that among the devotions of the Hispanic, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most important.

Mary appeared to Juan Diego on a hill known as Tepayac, on the north side of Mexico City. She addressed Juan Diego with an honorable title and asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a church built on the site.

When the bishop asked Juan Diego for proof that she had made this request, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac. Our Lady told him to gather out-of-season roses in his cloak and take them to the bishop.

When Juan Diego returned to the bishop, he unrolled his cloak that held the flowers. After the roses fell out of the cloak, know as his tilma, the bishop could see it was emblazoned with the image of Mary, dressed as a dark-skinned Aztec princess, standing in front of the sun and on top of a crescent moon. This image is now known around the world.

"Our Lady of Guadalupe is a symbol that helps us remember who we are," said Garcia. "We are brown and the skin of Our Lady was brown, too."

The cloak now hangs behind the altar of the Guadalupe basilica in Mexico. Juan Diego died in 1548 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1990, during a visit to Mexico City.

Juan Diego was canonized in July of 2002. The pope referred to him as a "simple, humble Indian" who found faith by the contemplating face of Mary.

Pope John Paul II designated Our Lady of Guadalupe as patroness of the Americas and Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo, former bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City, named her patron saint of the Diocese of Sioux City.

"We celebrate in different ways," said Garcia. "We celebrate singing las mananitas, a typical traditional song. We get up at four or five in the morning. We don't care. We just wake up. We are singing las mananitas for Our Lady of Guadalupe."

Celebrations also include food, dancing and other things that are important in the Hispanic culture, commented Garcia.

"Even though we are not in Mexico anymore, some people don't go to work, they want to come to church and celebrate this special day," said Garcia. "We see Our Lady of Guadalupe as a loving mother. We see her as a key symbol that has given encouragement and hope to people in difficult times."

Garcia pointed out that information about the feast was sent out in advance. Parishes throughout the diocese are commemorating the feast in their own ways through novenas to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Masses and fiestas.

"For millions of Mexicans in the United States, Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to be the mother that loves and protects them," said Garcia. "She continues to give them hope in maintaining their identity as people here in the United States."