Our Lady Of Guadalupe Diocesan Celebration Sunday, Dec. 8

Amarillo—The public is invited and encouraged to take part in the 27th diocesan celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Sunday, Dec. 8 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1200 South Washington.
 
The multi-cultural celebration begins at 2:00pm, with Matachines performing sacred dances in the St. Mary’s Sanctuary until 3:30, according to Deacon Pablo Morales of St. Laurence Church, who is coordinating the celebration. At 4:00 Bishop Patrick J. Zurek will celebrate Mass, with priests of the Diocese of Amarillo invited to concelebrate with him. Deacons are also invited to participate in the Mass.
 
After Mass, hot chocolate, champurrado and pan dulce will be served.
 
“We strongly encourage everyone who is attending to stay for the Mass at 4:00, as we celebrate the Mother of Jesus and Our Mother,” said Deacon Morales. “When we celebrate Mary, we celebrate Jesus.”
 
According to a story in the Dec. 6, 1981 issue of The West Texas Catholic, the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe begins in the early morning hours of Dec. 9, 1531, when an Indian named Juan Diego was on his way to Mass and to continue his studies of Christianity.
 
When he reached the top of a hill called Tepeyac, he suddenly heard the strains of beautiful music. Juan Diego thought at first he had gone to heaven or was in some kind of paradise, because to him, as to other Indians of Mexico, music was a symbol of the divine, of the gods.
 
The Indians felt that words could not adequately communicate the concept of god, so they represented the gods instead through music, singing and other arts. Artists, they felt, had hearts that carried something of the divine, that made god visible to world.
 
SOMETHING SPECIAL
So when Juan Diego heard the beautiful music he knew he was in the presence of something special. And he asked himself, “How can I be worthy of what I am hearing?”
 
Soon he heard a voice calling to him: “Juanito, Juan Dieguitro.” Those were the affectionate terms for his name, similar to what a mother might use in speaking to a child.
 
Our Lady then appeared to him and asked him where he was going. He told her that he was going to church. And Our Lady then told him that she desired a temple to be built there in her honor.
 
She went on to tell Juan Diego that she was the “Holy Mary. Ever Virgin Mother of the True God… a merciful Mother… to all… I listen to their lamentations and solice all their sorrows and their sufferings.”
 
She told him to the palace of the bishop of Mexico and tell him that she wanted a temple built there in the valley.
 
Juan Diego then went to see Fray Juan de Zumarraga, a Franciscan and bishop of Mexico. After much waiting, he finally was able to see the bishop, and told him of the Blessed Mother’s desire.
 
Bishop Zumarraga, however, did not believe Juan’s story at that time, and asked him to return a few days later, after he had time to study the matter—and investigate Juan.
 
FRUSTRATED
Juan felt frustrated; and made his way back to the hill of Tepeyac, never doubting that he would see Our Lady again.
 
When he saw her, he told her that the bishop had not believed him, but Our Lady again told Juan to return to the bishop to tell him again of her desire.
 
Juan promised that he would, and the next day, Dec. 10, after Mass, he again went to see the bishop. Again, after much difficulty, he eventually succeeded in getting to the bishop, repeating the message from Our Lady.
 
This time the bishop was more inclined to trust Juan, but nevertheless told him that he would have to bring some sign that the woman he had seen was the Blessed Mother.
 
Juan returned to the hill of Tepeyac, where he told the Virgin of the bishop’s request.
 
A SIGN
Our Lady told him to return the next day and he would receive his sign.
 
But the next day, Dec. 11, Juan had to care for his dying uncle, Juan Bernardino, who near day’s end asked him to get a priest so that he could go to Confession and receive the Last Sacraments.
 
Very early the following day, Dec. 12, Juan set out to get a priest, but tried to avoid the hilltop of Tepeyac because he was ashamed at not having returned to the spot the previous day as Our Lady had told him.
 
But as he was taking a roundabout route Our Lady came down from the top of the hill and again asked him where he was going.
 
Juan told her of his uncle’s illness and that he had felt the need to care for him.
 
Our Lady, however, assured him that his uncle would not die, and Juan renewed his offer to go to the bishop with any sign she would give.
 
FLOWERS
Our Lady instructed him to go to the top of the hill and gather the flowers there as a sign.
 
When Juan reached the summit he found many roses blooming there, even though they were out of season and everything was frozen. He picked the roses and placed them in his tilma, or cloak.
 
Our Lady then told Juan to take them to the bishop as a sign.
 
Juan did, and when he was with the bishop repeated Our Lady’s message and said he had brought a sign. He then unfolded his tilma and the roses came tumbling out.
 
But the bishop, seemingly overwhelmed by something even greater than the miracle of the roses, got up from his throne, knelt before Juan and began praying.
 
THE IMAGE
Juan, in wonderment, then looked down at his tilma, and saw there the Image of the Blessed Virgin, exactly as she appeared to him on the hill of Tepeyac.
 
A shrine of adobe was then erected at that site, in time for Christmas.
 
A number of churches have displayed the famed Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe throughout the nearly five centuries since the apparition.
 
DIOCESAN CELEBRATION
On Dec. 7, 1997, the Diocese of Amarillo conducted its inaugural Marian Pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The pilgrimage included a procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 1210 East 11th to the Amarillo Civic Center. Once at the Civic Center, priests offered the Sacrament of Reconciliation for those seeking to complete the pilgrimge. There was also a Mass, with Monsignor Antonio Gonzalez of the Diocese of Lubbock serving as homilist. A meal was served following the Mass.
 
Pope Pius XII declared the Virgin of Guadalupe Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas in 1945 and Patroness of the Americas in 1946.  
 
Saint John XXIII invoked her as Mother of the Americas in 1961, referring to her as Mother and Teacher of the Faith of All American populations.
 
For more information about the diocesan celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe or if you would like to participate in the celebration, please contact Deacon Morales at 806-282-7718.