Faith Filled Friday: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mariachi Band Mass

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, memorializing the day and event of when Our Lady appeared in Mexico to Juan Diego in 1531.  You probably know the history, but if you don’t make sure you read the Wikipedia entry and search out Catholic sites that will relate the story and devotion.  Our Lady under this title is super important in this segment of the world, carrying the additional monikers of Empress of the Americas, Patroness of Latin America, Queen of Mexico.  If you live in North or South America, this is our native Marian devotion.

Needless to say Our Lady of Guadalupe is huge in Mexico.  And so is Mariachi Music, a native musical genre from western Mexico.  When the Mexicans celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it is very common to integrate Mariachi Music into the Mass.  For the first time ever, today at my parish of St. Rita in Staten Island we celebrated today’s feast day with a Mariachi band for musical accompaniment. 

It was different.  It was endearing.  It was wonderful! 

I wish I had videoed all the musical parts of the Mass.  I only captured two at the end of Mass.  Both were after the pastoral blessing when the band moved up to the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and serenaded the Blessed Mother.  Here are the videos.

 

And here’s how they ended with a more upbeat tune.

 

Oh that was wonderful, and you can see our two pastors, Frs. Eugene and Anthony clapping along behind the altar.  Fr. Eugene is planning to do this annually.  Unfortunately I did not get the name of the band.

One last thing.  Our Lady of Guadalupe has a special place in my heart.  That was the name of my parish in Brooklyn growing up. 

 

Matthew Monday: Juan Diego

For the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our parish had some of the kids dress up in Mexican folk attire.  The girls dressed up as our Blessed Mother (under her Virgin of Guadalupe title) and the boys as Juan Diego, the indigenous man who was the recipient of the 16^th century apparitions near Mexico City.

Here is Matthew dressed as Juan Diego.

I’m not going to relate the entire story (you can read it here), but suffice it to say that the image on the poncho was a result of Juan gathering roses in December (a miracle in itself) and when he opened the poncho in front of his local bishop, an image of the Blessed Mother had been impressed from the roses on the poncho.  That poncho is still on display and I believe the analysis of the image supports a stain rather than a painted on by human hands.