Capilla del Sagrado Corazon – Sacred Heart Chapel – in Lorain invited Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost to celebrate midnight Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe this year. The Blessed Mother is the patroness of the Americas and of Mexico, where her Dec. 12 feast is a major celebration with Mass, music, food and dancing. It recalls a series of five Marian apparitions in 1531 by the Blessed Mother – also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe or la Virgen de Guadalupe – to a poor Mexican Indian widower named Juan Diego.
At Sacred Heart Chapel, the celebration is a major event, but on a smaller scale than in Mexico. It is part of a novena in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe that began on Dec. 3. Each of the nine days there were prayers, Mass and other events. The parish welcomed Father Oscar Arnulfo Barrera Moreno, a priest from El Salvador, who celebrated Mass on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. He also was the homilist at the midnight Mass on Dec. 12.
Prior to Mass, the faithful enjoyed food, music and dancing before praying the rosary in the church. In the gathering area, people could purchase candles and roses to place before the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine in the church. The area in front of the Blessed Mother’s shrine was overflowing with hundreds of flowers in a variety of colors.
(See above for a photo gallery from the event.)
After the rosary, group of local Aztec dancers and the mariachi band gathered around the shrine and led the group in song – la mananitas. This was the first time Bishop Woost attended the celebration. He stood outside the sacristy watching, listening and soaking in the cultural event.
“Wow,” he said, as he studied the dancers’ costumes and ornate headdresses that were adorned with huge feathers.
At midnight, the entrance procession began, led by the dancers who stopped in front of the altar briefly before moving to their seats. The Knights of Columbus, members the Guadalupe Society and other parishioners joined the altar servers and clergy to process into the church as the mariachis led the music.
Father Bill Thaden, Sacred Heart pastor, Father Francisco “Paco” Garnica, pastor of Sagrada Familia Parish in Cleveland, and Father Moreno concelebrated the midnight Mass, with Deacon Lou Maldonado and Deacon Rocky Ortiz, both from the parish, assisting.
After Communion, a parishioner dressed as Juan Diego approached the altar with roses tucked into his tilma or cloak. He knelt before Bishop Woost, opened his tilma and handed him the roses. Accompanied by a deacon, the bishop walked to the shrine, placed the roses there and spent some time in prayer before returning to the altar for the final blessing.
After Mass, Bishop Woost addressed the congregation, stopping periodically to allow Father Thaden to translate his remarks into Spanish.
He talked about how during his lifetime, the Archbishop of Mexico City allowed Juan Diego’s tilma to be examined thoroughly. After all the intensive inspections, examinations and tests, the bishop said there were no answers. “It only created more mystery,” he said.
On the tilma is a vivid image of Our Lady of Guadalupe standing on a crescent moon. She is clothed in a pink robe and a blue-green mantle with black tassels at her waist. The Blessed Mother’s hands are together as if she is praying. There is an aura or sunburst of gold, wavy rays behind her.
The bishop said he was fascinated by the eyes on the tilma. Reflected in them is the Mexican bishop with whom Juan Diego spoke and others who were there.
“Her gaze is one of love and peace,” he said. “She invites us to look upon one another that way, with that some look of love and peace. Let us allow Mary to see us, to look upon us with love and peace and allow her to help us draw ever deeper into the gaze of her son, Jesus.”
After Mass, the bishop spent some time greeting the dancers, mariachi band and the faithful and posing for pictures.