St. Patrick parishioners gathered for a vigil Mass to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as the faithful sang Marian hymns in English and Spanish at the East Chicago church. After Mass, youth dancers performed a traditional number wearing Mexican attire with designs of the image of the Blessed Mother that was emblazoned on the tilma of St. Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531. (Anthony D. Alonzo photos/NWI Catholic)
LAPORTE | The sweet smell of 300 roses permeated St. Joseph Catholic Church as parishioners gathered for Midnight Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec.11.
The feast day celebrates The Blessed Virgin Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego in 1531, instructing him to tell the bishop to build a church near present day Mexico City. Granting the bishop’s request for a sign, Mary led Diego to blooming Castilian roses, not normally in bloom, where he gathered them into his tilma. Once he presented the roses to the bishop, the well-recognized image of Our Lady appeared on his tilma.
Father Nate Edquist explained that roses, and their intense sweet smell, are often associated with the Blessed Mother.
“Even in these dark months, even when we can feel the darkness of night encompassing our lives, we can take this image of a rose as a sign of life and vitality…even when life seems stagnant around us,” said Father Edquist.
Each person in attendance received a colorful rose at the end of Mass.
The feast day normally packs the LaPorte parish, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the pews were filled within social distancing guidelines, mostly from the parish’s large Hispanic community.
Several families continued their long-standing family tradition of attending the late night Mass, including Juan Areas who brought his family.
“It’s a very beautiful Mass. We love coming together as a family to honor Our Lady,” said Areas.
While some young children couldn’t quite make it through the Mass, Areas’ young daughter, Crystal, was wide awake as she kept a watchful eye on all the action.
When asked if she enjoyed the Mass, the smile on her face said more than words, especially when she received her rose.
Saraidee Reyes-Villa said it’s meaningful to attend the late-night Mass. She has been attending “every year since a child when my mom first brought me. I love dressing up and seeing the beautiful flowers,” said Reyes-Villa.
She added, “It’s extra special this year because I’m happy we could still have it despite COVID. It was a blessing to have this Mass for Our Lady.”
During his homily, Father Edquist spoke of the 1921 bombing in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. An unidentified person placed a bomb hidden in a vase of roses at the foot of the altar. Following the explosion, a twisted crucifix was found having absorbed the heat of the blast saving an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe behind it, and leaving the glass case undamaged.
“Even in our lives, there are bombs going off everywhere. We can still be at peace knowing we’re under the protection of our Blessed Mother,” said Father Edquist.
