On Tuesday, December 12th, devoted island Catholics headed under the rain to the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church by Central Park to honor La Virgen de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe). The annual tradition is part of the festivities held across the Americas in the Roman Catholic Church. The celebration pays homage to the story of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican farmer in the Hill of Tepeyac, in 1531. This year, the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church acquired a replica of the venerated image on a cloak associated with the apparition of the Virgen. The original portrait of the image is in Mexico City, Mexico.
The festivities started at the San Pablo Chapel early in the day, with traditional mañanitas at 5:30AM, followed by a mass. Father Eduardo Montemayor led the annual celebration, unfazed by inclement weather throughout the day. A procession planned at 5PM was almost cancelled but still took place at the church by Central Park.
As the rain continued, several church and community members took turns singing to the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe inside the church. Children, parents, singers, and musicians all paid tribute to the Queen of Catholicism. There was even a cultural presentation by a group showcasing Aztec outfits. Afterward, Father Montemayor started the official mass, and many followers of the Catholic faith presented candles and flowers as offerings during the holy ceremony. At the end of the mass, everyone was invited to the church’s courtyard for refreshments.
The story of the Virgen de Guadalupe continues to fascinate Catholics and non-religious people. The story says that the Virgen appeared four times to Juan Diego, a peasant in Tepeyac (a place in Mexico City today), and once to his uncle, Juan Bernardino. According to historical documents, the first apparition occurred on December 9, 1531, the Julian calendar or December 19th, Gregorian calendar (present use). Juan Diego is said to have experienced a vision of a young woman at the Hill of Tepeyac, who told him she was Mary, ‘mother of the very true deity.’ The Virgen de Guadalupe reportedly asked for a church to be erected at that site in her honor. Today, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe stands there in Mexico City. It is the most visited Catholic shrine in the world and the third most-visited sacred site.
The San Pedro Roman Catholic Church wishes everyone a joyous Advent and Christmas. For those interested, the 2023 Christmas Eve masses will occur at 5PM in English at the San Pablo Chapel and 7PM in Spanish. The third mass will be at 11PM. During the masses, the children and adult choirs will be singing. Christmas Day masses will occur at 8AM and 10AM in English.
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