SAN JUAN — As the bells at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine tolled Monday evening, parishioners trickled in through its large doors awaiting the start of the 5:30 p.m. Mass.
The altar of the Basilica was decorated with pink flowers. To the side of the altar was a depiction of Juan Diego and the Virgen de Guadalupe. The display was surrounded by hundreds of red, pink, yellow and white roses, as well as dozens of bouquets left by worshipers.
“Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most well-attended feasts in the Basilica,” Father Jorge Gomez, rector of the Basilica, said Monday.
The celebration began late Sunday evening with a midnight Mass. Gomez estimated that over 3,000 people attended — so much so that the doors had to be kept open so that people standing outside could participate.
“I thought it was going to be less because it’s Sunday to Monday,” Gomez said. “People have to go to work, but they were here.”
Dec. 12 is celebrated throughout Mexico and the United States as the day that Mary, believed to be Jesus’ mother, appeared to Juan Diego in 1531. It was through that encounter that the famous image of the Virgen de Guadalupe appeared on a cloak, which is located at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo in Mexico.
“I think it is that day of the year that you identify yourself as a Guadalupano more than Catholic,” Gomez said. “I’ve seen people who are not Catholic, but they still have devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. There’s a lot of Guadalupanos who don’t identify themselves as Catholic, but they still come to venerate the Virgen de Guadalupe.”
“I think that’s a symbol of unity,” he continued. “What she did 500 years ago with the Europeans and the Aztecs, she still can do it today with two political parties — not mentioning names — with two different countries, with people from two different languages — English-speaking people and Spanish-speaking people. I think she is like a magnet that brings us together.”
Monday’s Masses saw worshipers from all different backgrounds making pilgrimages to honor and pray before the Virgen de Guadalupe. Some worshipers brought flowers, while others dressed as Juan Diego and wore clothing with the Virgen’s image. At one point during the Mass, a woman entered the Basilica on her knees carrying a large statue of the Virgen de Guadalupe.
“Last night and today, my focus is to give hope to the youth,” Gomez said. “It’s sad to see them losing their hope. They think there’s no way out of the situation that they’re living in. Sometimes they look for the easiest way out, and we don’t want them to go that route.”
Gomez said his message to the youth was to discourage participation in organized crime. He said that he hopes young people will not be tempted by expensive cars and clothing or the desire to impress others.
He also hoped that his parishioners and others who celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe left with a sense of peace and unity.
“I think we need to work together for the best of our communities,” Gomez said. “At the church we’re not a political party, but we are called to work for the betterment of our communities. A divided community does not give witness. We all want the best for our futures. We all want the best for our communities, so I invite all beliefs and all religions to work together because in the end we all want the same thing. We all want our people to be at peace.”
Nadia Chapa of Pharr and Hector Guerra of Hidalgo were among the thousands who visited the Basilica Monday. They said that they have attended the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe for as long as they can remember.
“We do our best to come to church and to celebrate the message that she shared with us to follow,” Guerra said. “Like the father said in his homily, you have to read the image. That’s how the natives of Mexico came to believe in Christ, because they read the image. It’s a language that she’s trying to speak through that picture, and you have to take time.”
“I think what keeps us coming back to this feast is that it wasn’t just at the time that she converted a whole country, it’s that she continues to convert souls with her message,” Chapa added. “When we celebrate these feasts, it’s not just about Our Lady, it’s that she’s leading us back to her son, Jesus Christ. It’s about him, really.”
To see more, view Monitor photojournalist Joel Martinez’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle
