Archdiocesan celebration brings together thousands of faithful
On Saturday, December 9, 2023, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington welcomed more than two thousand faithful to the annual procession and Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The celebration, presided over by Archbishop Wilton Gregory and concelebrated by Apostolic Nuncio Christophe Pierre along with auxiliary bishops, was notable for its solemnity and the participation of immigrant communities.
Testimony of faith and a maternal miracle
Among those in attendance, Marta Mercado, a Salvadoran parishioner from St. Mary's Parish in Landover Hills, Maryland, shared a personal testimony of devotion. "Mary is a mother and she is miraculous," she said, revealing that she attributes the life of her daughter Aracely to the intercession of the Virgin. During a high-risk pregnancy in 2001, doctors predicted the loss of the baby, but Mercado persisted in praying the rosary. She recounted that, in the midst of her pain, she experienced a consoling apparition of the Miraculous Virgin who assured her of her daughter's well-being.
An outcome that strengthens devotion
Aracely was born healthy through natural childbirth, although on the same day she required an emergency appendectomy, as the pain of labor had masked that condition. Full recovery came after eight days of hospitalization, avoiding the risk of peritonitis. This episode strengthened the family's faith, and now, together with their 22-year-old daughter and 4-year-old grandson Ángel Gabriel, they make an annual pilgrimage to the basilica in thanksgiving.
Homily and Guadalupe symbolism
During Mass, the reenactment of the Miracle of the Roses, with a young man playing St. Juan Diego, drew emotional applause. In his homily, Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar emphasized Mary's role as "our mother of Guadalupe" who shows us the way. He recalled the apparitions of 1531 and the transformative impact of the dark image on Juan Diego's cloak, noting that Mary "addresses her children with messages full of sweetness." Archbishop Gregory, for his part, asked the Virgin to intercede to "deepen our faith and seek the progress of peoples along paths of justice and peace."
Extension of the celebration to the university setting
The Catholic University of America (CUA) announced the celebration of Las Mañanitas to the Virgin on December 12, with a serenade by Mariachi Son de América and a Mass presided over by Bishop Menjívar in the Chapel of St. Vincent. The event, which will include a reception with traditional Mexican food, seeks to highlight the cultural and spiritual significance of the Guadalupan devotion within the university community. The basilica, located on the grounds of the CUA, houses a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, which is especially popular during Advent.
Original source: www.elpreg.org (published December 11, 2023)
