SCHERERVILLE – Few people are raised to higher places of honor than a mother. A spiritual mother recognized by Catholics throughout the Americas, especially by those of Mexican heritage, was celebrated locally with devotion and festivities.
About 300 people gathered together at St. Michael the Archangel church and St. Patrick Hall on Dec. 12, for Mass and fellowship on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Celebrant Bishop Robert J. McClory spoke of the Blessed Mother’s intercessory power, as her ability to draw her sons and daughters together in faith was apparent.
Many expressed a feeling of solidarity as they came to church on a Thursday night. Added to that, was a certain appreciation of a shared ethnicity making the common tongue, cuisine and artistic expression a source of pride.
“I’ve been a part of this Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration for more than 10 years and I thank coordinator Lucy Gallegos for inviting me,” said Maria del Carmen Arenas, a St. Michael parishioner. “I’m happy to join in celebrating this beautiful event bringing our Hispanic community and people from different nationalities – it’s so great to see how united we get.”
A bilingual arrangement of the liturgy was preceded by a performance of the Danza Azteca troupe. After Mass, local mariachi band members serenaded those Guadalupanos, or devotees to Our Lady, who processed. A copy of the world-famous image that was emblazoned on a tilma, or cloak, of a commoner who encountered the heavenly messenger in 1521 was carried into St. Patrick Hall.
“Eran Mexicanos, Su porte y Su faz,” sang the musicians in their version of the traditional hymn, “La Guadalupana.”
Guests young and old filled the hall to feast on Mexican meal staples, unwrapping corn husks to enjoy chicken tamales, while some went right to an array of desserts such as conchas, a sugar-covered type of pan dulce (sweet bread).
Dining with his godfather and cousins, Antonio X. Alvarez of Chicago was happy to have been invited to be a part of the Mass and meal. He believes such a celebration helps explain the intangible connections that people who prioritize faith and family have.
“This is a feeling of solace and comfort,” said Alvarez. “We look at the aspect of someone’s mother, that’s always going to be the same connection … not just from a cultural standpoint, but with different religions. We all came from a mother.”
The feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is typically a time for Merrillville resident Georgina Stankiewicz to reflect on her own family traditions. She recently completed a trip to Mexico City, where she stayed with her mother. Most travels to her native country’s capital include a visit to sacred sites including the religious complex of Tepeyac, built over the course of 500 years at the foot of the hill where the Marian apparitions occurred.
Stankiewicz said Jesus’ mother remains a strong force in society today. She is convinced that the Virgen de Gudalupe’s intercession is manifest among the faith of a majority of Latinos. However, she said she has been troubled by the problems that are present in Mexico and the U.S., particularly a slide in morality and persistently high crime, with vices that should be stamped out such as the trafficking of children.
Just as the appearance of the Blessed Mother as a Mestizo woman to St. Juan Diego precipitated the conversion of millions of pagans to the Christian faith, she is hoping that there is a revival of today’s Catholic Church and its role in the public square.
“For me this is great. It’s the way it has to be: we celebrate that Our Lady is our mother and I love her,” said Stankiewicz. “I still keep faith that things are going to become better.”
In his homily, Bishop McClory, spoke about the Virgin Mary’s love for her son and faithfulness to Jesus’ mission. He said she remains a powerful advocate as dedication to Our Lady of Guadalupe remains one of the most popular Marian devotions.
“We can give to Mary the prayers that we want her to take to her son,” said Bishop McClory. “Do we go to Jesus? Absolutely. Do we go to His mother? Absolutely.”
St. Michael’s church also became the setting where young actors recreated the Mexican apparitions. “Our Lady” and “St. Juan Diego” were portrayed by parishioners Camila Guadalupe Padilla and Alex Muñoz.
“I was nervous, of course, and I was constantly going through the steps … to make sure I had it memorized,” said Muñoz, 21, a St. Michael parishioner. “After thinking about how I’ve been going through school and how to pay for that and looking for a place to live for myself, I can see that how (Juan Diego) may have had struggles.”
Padilla, a Highland High School student, said she was honored to be asked to portray Mary.
“I feel like people got to see how important (Our Lady) was to people because of the conversions that happened after her appearance,” Padilla, 14. “I felt very special that I can represent her.”
St. Michael pastor Father Martin Dobrzynski said the 12th such feast day celebration at the Schererville church was not an anticipated or ex post-facto event, but a distinct gathering that occurred precisely when it was intended. He praised the efforts of parishioners including Gallegos and Arenas, who coordinated the event.
“This is part of our objective to celebrate the cultures of the parish,” said Father Dobrzynski. “I’m very insistent that we do it on the feast day.”
Coordinator of Intercultural Ministry Claudia F. Sadowski, Ph.D. called Our Lady of Guadalupe “a powerful symbol of faith, hope and unity.”
“I am deeply proud of the people who organized and participated in this beautiful celebration. This was my first time attending (here), and I am truly grateful for the invitation to be part of such a meaningful event,” Sadowski said.
Caption: Portraying St. Juan Diego, Alex Muñoz (right) displays a tilma and roses, signs of a Marian apparition, to the character of Bishop Juan de Zumarraga (of Mexico City, New Spain), portrayed by Father Robert Ross, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12, in Schererville. About 300 faithful gathered to celebrate the "Patroness of the Americas" at St. Michael the Archangel where Mass celebrant Bishop Robert J. McClory lauded the Blessed Mother's intercessory power and desire to bring us closer to her Son. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)