Our Lady Of Guadalupe Celebrations Continue

Celebrations of the Dec. 12 Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe continued across the Diocese of Evansville through Dec. 16.

Early celebrations

Bishop Joseph M. Siegel celebrated Mass in English and Spanish on Dec. 9 at our Lady of Hope Parish in Washington. The Message published coverage of that Mass in the Dec. 14 issue.

That same day, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dale and St. Joseph Parish in Jasper celebrated Masses in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Evansville

Bishop Siegel celebrated Mass in Spanish at Evansville’s Holy Rosary Parish on Dec. 12, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Holy Rosary Pastor Father Bernie Etienne, Associate Pastor Father Homero Rodriguez and Father Henry Kuykendall, retired priest of the Diocese of Evansville, concelebrated. A dinner followed Mass in the parish hall.

Huntingburg

Celebrations of Our Lady of Guadalupe across the diocese concluded on Dec. 16 when Pastor Father Ryan Hilderbrand celebrated Sunday Mass in Spanish at St. Mary Parish in Huntingburg. Processions preceded and followed Mass. Volunteers carried a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe from the St. Mary Parish Activities Center to the church before Mass, accompanied by musicians and dancers in traditional costumes.

They carried Our Lady from the church back to the activities center after Mass for a celebration that included food, a reenactiment of the apparitions of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego, Aztec Dancers, Ballet Folkloric, “Las Americas” and music led by Jose Alfredo Dubon and the Spanish Mass musicians.

Diocese of Evansville Seminarian Martin Estrada served as homilist for the Mass.

“In the Gospel, we have heard that when Mary visited Elizabeth, she rejoiced and praised her visit,” he said. “Here is a clear example of how we are invited to rejoice and be joyful for the visit of our God to our lives. And in the same way, we remember today another visit; the visit of our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego and the people of (Mexico).

“Our Lady of Guadalupe decided to stay among her people,” he added. “Her image is shown as a sign of her presence among us. Her words should resound in our hearts today when we see only darkness: ‘do not fear, Am I not here, who is your mother?’

“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, we show the limits of trust in our Mother who listens to our prayers; and we learn from her always in our talents and in the service of others,” Estrada said. “Let's go quickly to help the needy, to visit the forgotten, to feed the hungry, and above all to draw closer to God in body and soul.”