Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

PARSIPPANY  It was the miracle of roses that led a bishop to believe St. Juan Diego’s vision of the Blessed Mother on a hill in Tepeyac, Mexico. Nearly 500 years later, the celebration of that moment was marked throughout the world and in the Diocese on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12.

At St. Peter the Apostle Parish here, a cascade of colorful roses surrounded the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the feast day’s English/Spanish vigil Mass on the evening of Dec. 11. Bishop Kevin Sweeney was the main celebrant of the Mass, which was livestreamed through St. Peter the Apostle Parish’s website and its Facebook page.

Throughout the Diocese, parishes, especially those with Mexican communities, held Masses in Our Lady’s honor under this title. Many parishes prayed the rosary and Mariachi bands played traditional Marian and Mexican songs at Masses for this feast day.

Due to the pandemic, the congregation was limited inside St. Peter the Apostle Church to a much smaller number than usual to follow the required social distancing regulations and face masks were mandatory for all congregants. The usual fellowship with traditional Mexican dishes afterward was not held.

The Mass began with a rousing applause from the congregation as the Bishop said “La viva la Virgen de Guadalupe.”

In his welcome to all, the Bishop said, “We come tonight looking to Mary, the Mother of God, Mother of the Church and queen of every family. We face so many challenges, so many difficulties this year but we remember her beautiful message to Juan Diego and to all of us, ‘Am I not here, who am your mother,’ reminding us that God has sent us, that Jesus has sent us, his own mother to be with us to care for us, to intercede for us.”

Before the Mass, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary were led by Father Cesar Jaramillo, parochial vicar, with families — many with school-age children — reciting each of the five decades. Father Jaramillo said to those attending the celebration, “We are delighted that you can be with us today as we honor Our Lady of Guadalupe as queen of our families. Thus, highlighting the essential role of every family as the true domestic Church where each one of us learns the basic knowledge of our faith and where Jesus makes himself present through mutual love and respect.”

Deacon Luis Mendez proclaimed the Gospel reading, recounting the Annunciation.

Afterward, Bishop Sweeney gave his homily in which he said, “The first thing we should do tonight is take a moment to thank God for being here tonight and for so many gifts and blessings he has given to our lives.”

Referring to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Bishop said, “She remains with us — to the humble, to the faithful and to those with open hearts. She has come with her message to return to God, to trust in her Son. Even more beautiful than the most beautiful flowers, her beautiful message — not only to the people of Mexico, the indigenous people of Mexico — but all those who would believe in her and come to have faith in her Son, and who would be baptized. She is their mother and she is our mother. We should give thanks to her visit to the Americas, which at that time was the New World and the new evangelization was beginning.”

At the end of his homily, the Bishop spoke of St. Juan Diego, “who knew he could trust her completely because she was the Mother of God. She invites us to trust her. When we face the pandemic, when we face the mystery of the Cross and when we are confused about the future and tomorrow, when we face so many difficulties, it is hard to have that trust. But, by celebrating her tonight we come to her again and we ask her help to trust in her because she leads us closer to her Son and her Son is our God — ‘Emmanuel’ — God is with us and with our God all things are possible.”

To remember the feast day, the congregation received a token, and the Bishop received a framed image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the parishioners of St. Peter the Apostle.

In closing his remarks, the Bishop said, “The more you get to know about the image, the more we can realize the meaning of the visit of the Mother of God to the Americas that happened almost 500 years ago. That is so important to us today. She calls us and she sends us out to evangelize the faith.”