Amid the lively melodies of a bustling mariachi band and the aroma of a local Mexican food truck, students, faculty, and families gathered in the PAC for an energetic night of community and celebration dedicated to honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“What we’re doing is a mass for Senora de Guadalupe, a significant cultural event for Mexicans and Mexican Americans. La Virgen de Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego, a poor indigenous person in Mexico. So when that happened, the Virgin Mary became the symbol for many Catholic Mexicans,” history teacher Mr. Hernandez said.
“Her showing up to Juan Diego, an indigenous aztec who converted to Catholicism, represented her showing up to the people. Like instead of showing up to priests or bishops, she showed up to us, the people,” sophomore Jai-Lani Villatoro said. “Celebrating her is really important not just to Catholicism but our culture as a whole.”
Recognizing Our Lady of Guadalupe’s significance, various Popes serving as leaders of the Roman Catholic Church highlight her importance to Latin America and even Southeast Asian countries. Celebrated worldwide, the traditions associated with this event are diverse.
“In Mexico, there are fiestas, and a lot of the time in the masses and Mexican churches, there are shows or cultural events that happen,” Jai-Lani Villatoro said.
“In my hometown, it’s super common for people to walk 12 miles throughout the desert to get there. People revere this as a really holy and spiritual day. So people will walk on their knees, people will drive from all over Mexico; this is a big holiday,” said Director of DEI Ms. Montez.
In the presence of Woodburn High School’s mariachi band, Mr. Hernandez spoke on the significance of the band’s performance of Las Mañanitas, the Spanish happy birthday song.
“It’s one of those things you do right as midnight strikes, and they do it all across the country in Mexico and here in the United States. So we’re happy we were able to get Woodburn’s student mariachi to come out and perform,” Mr. Hernandez said.
Incorporating these vibrant cultural traditions, the Latino Student Union has collaborated with the DEI office to ensure that students at Jesuit feel welcome in celebrating this event.
“I’m honestly really grateful that DEI was hosting this event just because the Latino representation is starting to surge. This is our second year of doing it, and so I’m really grateful for this whole event to really get all of our community together and give her the day that she deserves,” Jai-Lani Villatoro said.
Emphasizing the significance of honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, faculty members highlight how this celebration is a shared experience among the community.
“For us here at Jesuit, this event is important because it’s part of the communities that we serve. As we have a lot of Latino students here, we want to be able to make them feel included by hosting an event that’s about the culture,” Mr. Hernandez said. “It’s open to our community, so that parents can see that there’s also faculty giving this importance and significance so that both the kids and parents feel included.”
Highlighting Mexican culture values, Spanish teacher Ms. McManamon noticed the strong sense of community and familial bonds.
“We’re all here together supporting each other, learning from each other, and having fun. That’s a big part of what Mexican culture is about, happiness and just being together with loved ones. I just hope this event keeps growing and growing. Last year was great, this year it looks even better and I can’t wait to see what next year looks like,” Spanish teacher Ms. McManamon said.
