The feast of Guadalupe nourishes the soul
SALT LAKE CITY - Hundreds gathered in the Cathedral of the Madeleine to celebrate the anniversary of the Virgin of Guadalupe's appearance to a Mexican peasant boy in 1531, asking that a church be built there in Tepeyac in her honor.
The annual celebration of the "Morenita del Tepeyac" started with a procession headed by the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake. An image of the Virgin was carried through the streets near the Cathedral of the Madeleine while pilgrims intoned songs honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Those in the procession represented a host of countries, including Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the United States and Venezuela. After the procession they gathered in the Cathedral to commemorate the Virgin of Guadalupe, who sometimes is known as the Brown Virgin because her skin color is that of the indigenous peoples of America.
The evening culminated in a party in which mariachi music, songs and cheers filled the environment. Father Omar Ontiveros, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, was in charge of welcoming everybody to the celebration.
"You know that she is a very loved mother; her love no matter what is very special, because in her we can find the tenderness that children seek, that people who are sad and desperate need," said Father Ontiveros, adding that when the Virgin appeared to San Juan Diego her words were, "I am your merciful mother; I'll listen to you and everybody in this world."
Father Ontiveros asked those at the ceremony to welcome her with all the confidence in their hearts.
Sofia Palestino, who attended the celebration, offered flowers to honor the Virgin. "To celebrate our mother is very important because she does a lot for all of us," she said.
The evening's entertainment included a presentation by la danza azteca Quetzatcoatl, an Aztec dance group comprised of about 200 dancers who represent Seattle, Boise, Idaho and Utah since 1997.
"To come and celebrate this huge celebration of the Aztecs is very important because we all need to keep our different cultures," said Rosa Flores, one of the dancers.
She referred to the fact that the celebration of our Lady of Guadalupe is one of many traditions carried out through community this time of year. "The tapestry of religions reminds us of who we are, the things we have in common and how rich our lives are because of that."
Other groups such as La banda Lobo (with their traditional tambora) and Mariana Estrada also participated in the celebration.
"I come to celebrate because it is really important," said Richie Maldonado, from Salt Lake City.
Bishop Wester celebrated the midnight Mass. Afterward, the attendees were invited to the Pastoral Center to enjoy refreshments such as churros and chocolate and the celebration kept on going.
"The celebration to the Virgin of Guadalupe for all of us is a gathering point, a moment of joy, a moment to reunite our cultures and get together with our people," said Francisco Guzmán, one of the attendees who has been present in the celebrations for the past two years.
The devotion to the Virgin Mary is based on the Catholic faith, but in the case of the Guadalupana, her presence has influenced not only spiritually but also cultures and the people.
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