On Dec. 12, individuals of the Catholic community and Mexican culture honor a sacred representation of Mary— Our Lady of Guadalupe.
At the heart of this celebration lies the story of Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican farmer, and the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the year 1531, she revealed herself to Juan Diego, urging him to build a chapel in her honor. However, when he approached the archbishop with this divine request, proof of the encounter was demanded.
Undeterred, Juan Diego returned to Our Lady of Guadalupe, who promised a sign. She instructed him to gather roses from the hillside, an uncommon sight in the December landscape of Mexico.
Upon presenting these roses to the archbishop, an awe-inspiring revelation occurred. As Juan Diego unfolded his tilma (a cloak), the roses tumbled to the ground, revealing an intricate embroidery of Our Lady’s image.
This divine occurrence led to the construction of a church on the sacred site, fulfilling Our Lady of Guadalupe’s request. Remarkably, Juan Diego’s tilma, crafted from cactus fibers intended to last mere decades, persists in excellent condition to this day.
Since then, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s significance permeates Latino communities, finding a home in Latino parishes and even social movements.
“If you are going to a Latino parish, chances are that there is an image or statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” DEI director Mrs. Amanda Montez said. “We have one here on campus. According to Mr. Don Clarke, at one point, it had broken so it wasn’t out in prominence. The custodial staff ended up finding it and constructed a whole shrine for her.”
“We can even see this imagery when Ceasar Chavez did his marches with people who were boycotting and fighting for agricultural workers rights, they would march with Our Lady of Guadalupe. So it’s very, very important to the Latino people, Mexican and Mexican American people,” Mrs. Montez said.
At Jesuit’s Christmas mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe makes an appearance as well. While students are bringing in ceiling high banners, Latino Student Union (LSU) carries in a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and she rests in front of the congregation.
“For LSU, it is a huge moment for them, that they feel like they can honor this really holy day in a way that is shown in front of the whole school,” Mrs. Montez said.
“It’s celebrated during the time of Advent, the time when we remember and celebrate Mary and Joseph. Sometimes, those two narratives are connected because Our Lady of Guadalupe is meant to represent hope; if you pray to her in your need, she will answer your prayers,” associate DEI director Ms. Cruz said.
Because many families are involved in their own parishes, Jesuit’s celebration will be on Dec. 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. rather than when it’s normally celebrated on Dec. 12.
The celebration coincides with a night of giving back— the food drive. The festivities kick off with a fiesta in the foyer lobby and PAC lobby, promising a joyous night.
“You can stop by and head over to the food drive or vice versa. We really want this to be like a celebratory time on campus,” Mrs. Montez said.
“We’re going to have a food truck, and we’ll have a bilingual mass again. It’s a really nice time for folks to be together in community to celebrate a really significant day,” Mrs. Montez said.
