Yesterday was one of the greatest Marian feast days in the Church calendar, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. What’s amazing about this icon, besides its mysterious origin, is the fact that this one image effectively converted almost all of Central America from barbaric paganism to Christianity.
Listen to Fr. Robert Barron (who else?) explain its significance.
Yesterday, our parish had a vibrant, 4:00am Mass to celebrate the feast. I didn’t make it, but I heard the worship was loud and vibrant and was followed by singing, dancing, and the characteristic passion of our Spanish-speaking community.
It’s hard to explain how much this event means to Latin American Catholics. To get a sense, head over to The Frame, a photo blog operated by the Sacramento Bee. They have a great photo essay of pilgrims making their way to Mexico City to celebrate the feast.
See all the pictures at The Frame.
(Image Credit: Our Lady of Guadalupe from Wikipedia)