Bishop Dennis Walsh presides at Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe last year at St. Anthony Parish in Davenport. This year, a diocesan-wide Mass and celebration will take place Dec. 12 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — For the first time in more than 20 years, Hispanics from throughout the Diocese of Davenport will gather to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe together. The Mass will be on the feast day, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. in Sacred Heart Cathedral. Bishop Dennis Walsh will preside.
Father Rudolph Juarez, pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Davenport and vicar for Hispanics, said, “Although several of the parishes with Hispanic parishioners are doing local parish celebrations, we decided it might be nice to celebrate at the cathedral in order to have more space and to invite people from our local parishes to come celebrate with us as well.”
The Hispanic communities celebrated together as one for a few years before going back to their individual celebrations. The first diocesan-wide celebration was at the American Legion Hall in Lone Tree in 1999 in anticipation of the Jubilee Year 2000. The faithful then gathered at Sacred Heart Cathedral as the Jubilee Year was closing. In 2001, a celebration was at St. Mathias Parish in Muscatine and hosted by the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission there, and in 2002 at St. Mary Parish in Iowa City.
Father Juarez said for this celebration, “It is a blessing having a bishop who is bilingual. We hope to incorporate both Spanish and English in the celebration to include more folks. It is always nice to hear from our chief shepherd.”
The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe begins on a hill of Tepeyac, Mexico, in 1531 where St. Juan Diego said Mary appeared to him and asked him to build a church on that spot. The archbishop to whom Juan Diego made that request dismissed the apparition and asked for proof of the visit.
On Dec. 12, Diego returned to Tepeyac. Mary told him to pick flowers blooming on top of the hill, normally barren that time of year, and put them in his cloak to take to the archbishop. When Juan opened the cloak before the bishop, non-native Castilian roses fell out and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe adorned his garment. Today, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe sits on the hill of Tepeyac, a testimony to the faith that grew from that miraculous encounter. Today, it is a popular pilgrimage destination.
St. John Paul II proclaimed Our Lady of Guadalupe “Patroness of the Americas” on Dec. 12, 1999.
Father Juarez said that although the celebration began in Mexico, it is celebrated “by a diverse group of people. The celebration can be as simple as using the readings for the feast at the liturgy for anyone attending Mass, or it can be a big celebration incorporating people from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds with a meal and festivities shared by all after Mass.”
“The Feast Day of Our Lady is very important to Hispanics — especially those with Mexican cultural ties,” he said. “And, even in Mexico, many people may not profess any faith or be Catholic, but they identify themselves with Our Lady of Guadalupe culturally.”
Father Juarez welcomes all to attend the diocesan-wide Mass and reception Dec. 12. “There will be our parish dance group who will perform Indigenous dances and there will be a Mariachi group at Mass and after Mass during the reception.” Parishioners will prepare and serve typical Mexican cuisine for the event in Sears Diocesan Hall.
St. Anthony parishioners are on the planning committee for the Mass and reception, Father Juarez noted, and will work with the diocesan director of liturgy, cathedral parishioners and personnel to “make sure we plan a dignified and joyful celebration.”
