Warming up for Our Lady of Guadalupe

Warming up for Our Lady of Guadalupe December 5, 2011
This year Sacred Heart is joining Saint Juliana in Fort Valley for the annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Perry Fairgrounds.  We expect over 1,000 faithful to gather for this great feast which honors the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
The celebration of this feast runs deep in Mexican identity and faith.  At the beginning of the colonization of the New World, the Lord not only sent brave missionaries to proclaim the Gospel, but He sent us His own Mother.  The missionaries were Spaniards who looked different from the locals, but Mary looked like them, she was La Morenita (the little dark one) as she is still often lovingly called.
Unique traditions have emerged in Mexico to honor the Mother of God who brought about the conversion of millions of Aztecs.  Among these traditions are highly symbolic and elaborate dances which are offered in her honor.  The Danza Azteca del Sagrado Corazon is a parish group which prepares throughout the year for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe by learning traditional dance steps.  Below is a video from the conclusion of last year’s Mass as we prepared to go out in procession.
Her presence is felt more and more in the Untied States.  This year the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will celebrate its 80th annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration with a procession through East Los Angeles concluding with an outdoor Mega-Mass attended by over 30,000 people.  Approximately 50,000 will gather for Mass in the Santuario de Guadalulpe in Dallas, Texas.  Chicago will accommodate as many as 250,000 faithful at the Maryville Shrine for a December 12th, Mass.

These major celebrations reveal the strong presence of Hispanic Catholics throughout the Unites States.  Hispanics now make up the majority of Catholics in the largest dioceses of the country including New York and Chicago.  Other diocese which have a latino majorities include Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix where in some communities up to 80% of Catholics are Hispanic.

May Our Lady pray for those who will attend these celebrations, including our own at the Perry Fairgrounds.  May she lead all the faithful to a closer love for her son, Jesus Christ.

Join us at the Perry Fairgrounds from 1pm to 9pm.  Mass at 4:30 followed by a procession, food and the Mananitas!

Pictures are mine, all rights reserved.


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