Cardinal Timothy Dolan will be the principal celebrant at the 10 a.m. feast day Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
More than a week of prayer and events will lead up to the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan will be the principal celebrant at the 10 a.m. feast day Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Auxiliary Bishop Francisco Figueroa Cervantes of the Diocese of Zamora, Mexico, will be the homilist.
Here is a list of key events that will lead up to the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12:
- Tuesday, December 3 The Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe begins.
- Wednesday, December 4, 12:10 p.m. and 6 p.m. Anointing of the Sick takes place at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard on West 14th Street in Manhattan.
- Monday, December 9 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation. Masses are celebrated at parishes throughout the archdiocese.
- Wednesday, December 11, 6 p.m. On the eve of the feast, Mass is celebrated at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard.
- Wednesday, December 11, 7 p.m. The “Traditional Mañanitas,” a lively, reverent event that includes mariachi and traditional Mexican dance will take place on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
- Thursday, December 12, 7 a.m. The statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe begins its procession, making its way up 8th Avenue, then east on West 50th Street to the cathedral, with hundreds of followers accompanying it.
- Thursday, December 12, 10 a.m. The procession concludes and the faithful fill St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the celebration of Mass.
- Thursday, December 12, 6 p.m. A Mass is celebrated for volunteers at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard.
- Thursday, December 12, 7 p.m. Vespers, or Evening Prayer, is celebrated in Latin at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Mulberry Street in Manhattan, with ancient Mexican liturgical music.
“We celebrate over 20 Masses for different Hispanic traditions at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral throughout the year. The upcoming Our Lady of Guadalupe is our largest, and one of our most joy-filled occasions to celebrate with all the parishioners and visitors who join us that day. Everyone is welcome,” Cardinal Dolan said.
Patroness of the Americas
The Virgin Mary is the patroness “of Mexico, the United States, and all of the Americas, as well as the protector of unborn children.”
“In 1531, she appeared in a vision to the peasant Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City and charged him with asking the bishop to build a church on that spot. But the bishop demanded a sign, so Our Lady had Juan gather flowers in his cloak in December to take to the bishop. When Juan opened his cloak, the colorful image of Guadalupe was emblazoned on the cactus cloth. That icon is preserved in the most famous shrine in the Western Hemisphere and Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to inspire poor and oppressed people worldwide.”
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., notes that St. Juan Diego “was one of the first indigenous people in the New World to embrace Catholicism. As Pope John Paul II said at Juan Diego’s canonization, ‘In accepting the Christian message without forgoing his indigenous identity, Juan Diego discovered the profound truth of the new humanity, in which all are called to be children of God. Thus, he facilitated the fruitful meeting of two worlds and became the catalyst for the new Mexican identity, closely united to Our Lady of Guadalupe.’”
The Good Newsroom Coverage of Events
The Good Newsroom has been publishing educational stories in preparation for next week’s celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A dedicated website landing page has been set up so that stories are easily accessible. The 10 a.m. Mass on December 12 will also be livestreamed on theGoodNewsroom.org.