Archdiocese of New York Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat served as principal celebrant and homilist of the second annual Mass honoring Our Lady of Mercy (Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes) at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday, September 21.

“She is Mother Mary, the same Mary under all her vocations,” Bishop Espaillat told the estimated 1,800 people in the pews during the afternoon Mass, citing the historical and spiritual importance of the Virgin Mary. “She has appeared in Fatima; she has appeared in Lourdes; she has appeared in Mexico… She has appeared in Ireland,” he added in naming some of the apparitions.

The bishop, who is of Dominican descent, spoke of the special importance of Our Lady of Mercedes for the faithful of the Dominican Republic. He reminded the faithful that Our Lady of Mercedes is the patroness of the Dominican Republic, and Our Lady of Altagracia is the protector; that both are Mother Mary under those titles and others. (The Mercedes feast day is September 24. The Altagracia feast day is January 21.)

“Mary teaches us three valuable lessons,” Bishop Espaillat said. “Mary is the model of empathy. Mary is the model of obedience, Mary is the model of humility… Humility is not declared; humility is lived… What did Mary say at Cana? She said, ‘Do as He says.’ Mary knew that Christ was the solution.” And the bishop added, “Today, my prayer is for us to have much more empathy for the needy, for our brothers and sisters, and that we are obedient to the voice of God.”

Historic mural dedication marks special day

Bishop Espaillat also noted the significance of the day in addition to celebration of the Mass honoring Our Lady of Mercy: the recent installation of a special mural on the inside walls of the main entrance of the cathedral.

“Today is a historic day… It is the legacy that Cardinal Dolan has left for us,” Bishop Espaillat said of the mural, which is titled “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding.” He told attendees that the mural was blessed by the cardinal and officially dedicated earlier that day at the cathedral’s 10:15 a.m. Mass.

The 25-foot-high mural is a celebration of New York’s sacred and secular history. The painting depicts the Marian apparition at Knock in Ireland, along with New York saints, Servants of God, first responders, and immigrants, early until present.

Bishop Espaillat noted that among those depicted on the mural is Venerable Pierre Toussaint, who was from Haiti, which shares the Caribbean Island with the Dominican Republic.

“This Mass is very important for people from the Dominican Republic,” Maria Tejada, one of the faithful seated on the cathedral pews, told The Good Newsroom before the liturgy began, noting the significance of the gathering’s celebration of faith and culture. “We believe in her; we believe in her miracles. This is a big day being here for this Mass.”

Tejada, a lifelong Catholic born in the Dominican Republic, is a parishioner of Church of the Incarnation in the Washington Heights area of Upper West Manhattan.

At the end of Mass, Father Ambiorix Rodriguez, pastor of St. Elizabeth Church in Washington Heights, offered closing words. Father Rodriguez, who is Dominican-born, thanked Bishop Espaillat, the attendees, and all who helped make the Mass possible, including his fellow concelebrants, the New York archdiocesan Cultural Diversity Apostolate, and the archdiocesan Altagracia-Mercedes Committee. “Thank you very much from my heart,” he said.