Celebrations for Our Lady of Guadalupe abound in December throughout Archdiocese

A woman places flowers at a shrine at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Houston. (Photos by James Ramos/Herald) Below, parishioners gather in an Our Lady of Guadalupe grotto at Christ the Redeemer Parish in Houston. (Photo by Carrie Taylor/Christ the Redeemer)

HOUSTON — Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, in his homily celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe feast day at an Archdiocesan-wide Mass on Dec. 9, said Mother Mary will always come looking even if people try to avoid their faith.

Bishop Dell’Oro preached to a filled Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart that included hundreds of matachines and Azteca dancers in native dress after they had processed and swirled more than a mile in downtown Houston showing their devotion.

Concelebrating Mass with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Bishop Dell’Oro said in Spanish, “Remember when Juan Diego tried to avoid seeing the Virgen de Guadalupe for a fourth time because his uncle was sick? She intercepted Juan Diego. No matter how we try to avoid God and Mary, they are there for us.”

Juan Diego had told Archbishop Zumárraga in December 1531 that a woman speaking in his native Nahautl language appeared to him wanting a church built on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City, but he was not believed.

To avoid being delayed by the virgin and ashamed of having failed to meet her again after their first encounter on Dec. 9, Juan Diego chose another route around Tepeyac Hill, yet the virgin appeared and asked where he was going.

In the words that have become the most famous phrase of the Guadalupe apparitions, she asked, “¿No estoy yo aquí que soy tu madre?” (“Am I not here, I who am your mother?”).

She assured him that his uncle had now recovered and told him to gather flowers from the summit of Tepeyac Hill, normally barren in the cold of December. Juan Diego obeyed her instruction and he found Castilian roses, not native to Mexico, blooming there.

According to the story, the virgin Dec. 12 arranged the flowers in Juan Diego’s tilma or cloak, and when Juan Diego opened his cloak later that day in front of Archbishop Zumárraga, the flowers fell to the floor, revealing on the fabric the image of the virgin.

The tale converted millions of the indigenous to Catholicism brought by the Spaniards. That tilma remains on display at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, one of the most visited religious sites in the world.

Now, millions of Catholics celebrate her feast day on Dec. 12 worldwide, and dozens of Houston churches had their own individual celebrations for their parishioners but were also flooded with visitors.

Her namesake, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church on Navigation, served as the epicenter of multiple Masses and mariachi serenades, with a Spanish television station broadcasting its newscasts from there.

The interviews covered touching stories on why so many of the Hispanic families have a loving devotion to la Virgen de Guadalupe. One older woman talked about how her adult son had been in pain and suffering from heart problems, and she prayed to Our Lady. Her husband, standing beside her with his head bowed and wearing a cowboy hat, quietly wiped tears from his cheeks.

“Our son passed away, but he died peacefully without pain. I thank La Virgen so much for that,” she said.

A young woman was praying for the health of her newborn baby clinging to life. Candles and flowers overflowed to accompany the many prayers. Even in the days after the Masses and ‘round the clock devotions, faithful continued streaming in to visit the Guadalupe grotto at the East End parish.

Thousands of roses, carnations and flowers piled high, reaching up towards the statue of the Blessed Mother, making St. Juan Diego nearly a hidden figure among the flowers of all colors. Families bundled up in the chilly December temperatures came with more flowers and candles, placing them at the foot of the grotto.

The scent of the flowers and warmth of the candlelight made for an inviting and comfortable environment, conducive to prayer and devotion. Among the flowers were handwritten messages and notes, including a hand-drawn card featuring purple flowers and hearts from a young child who wished Our Lady of Guadalupe “Feliz Cumple,” or “Happy Birthday.” A second grotto, adjacent to Navigation Boulevard, was also adorned with flowers and candles.

This scene played out repeatedly at parishes across the Archdiocese. From Holy Family Parish in Galveston to Sacred Heart Parish Conroe and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Rosenberg, faithful turned out to honor and pray with Our Lady of Guadalupe at Masses, Rosaries, processional dances and song. 

— James Ramos contributed to this report.