OUR ARIZONA UNIQUE TRADITIONS & CELEBRATIONS – Chrystal Allen-O’Jon
Our Lady of Guadalupe – God has not forgotten us
According to wikipedia.org, (Our Lady of Guadalupe – Wikipedia) Our Lady of Guadalupe (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (Spanish: Virgen de Guadalupe), is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions in December 1531, and a venerated image on a cloak enshrined within the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The basilica is the most-visited Catholic shrine in the world, and the world’s third most-visited sacred site.
Where in Arizona was this tradition celebrated? Let’s be prepared for next year!
Vigil of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, for example held a festive Serenade and Holy Mass. The evening began in the Outdoor Plaza at 7:00 PM with the traditional dance by Matachines San Marcos, followed by the beautiful dancing of Ballet Folklórico Itzamatul de Valle del Sol at 7:30 PM.
Location: St. Mary’s Basilica – 231 N. 3rd Street – Phoenix, AZ – Live-Stream: www.facebook.com/SMBasilica- https://saintmarysbasilica.org/serenade-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe/.
procession, organized by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, started at the corner of Washington and 8th streets and ended with an outdoor mass and the praying of the rosary in front of the Basilica.
The colorful and musical event — made up of over 60 groups representing churches, dance troupes and musicians — kicked off the nine days of Novena of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Mexican Catholic observance that ends on the feast day for the patron saint of México.
The feast commemorates the story of the Virgin Mary appearing to St. Juan Diego in 1531 on the site that is now home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in México City.
In México, the 9-day period is observed with daily processions, re-enactments and prayer, culminating in a celebration that starts with a mass at midnight on Dec. 12 and a festival-like celebration that lasts most of the day.
Many readers may more readily recognize her European counterparts, Lourdes and Fatima, but she appeared almost 500 years ago in what is now Mexico. She is known by many names: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, La Virgen de Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas, Our Lady of Tepeyac and, most commonly in the United States, Our Lady of Guadalupe.
She is the brown-skinned virgin mother who evangelized millions, especially in Latin America and the United States. In her revered image, she stands in front of the sun and atop a crescent moon, wearing a star-covered robe, a band around her stomach revealing that she is about to give birth. As Christmas delivers its message that Christ is born, her consoling message remains: God has not forgotten you.
