Hispanic and Latino Catholics who gathered for a late-night Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe heard they have a lot in common with St. Juan Diego, the indigenous Mexican man to whom the Virgin Mary appeared close to 500 years ago.
Father Wilfredo Fernandez celebrated the Spanish-language Mass at St. Joseph Church in Butchertown at 11 p.m. Dec. 11 to ring in Our Lady’s feast day, observed on Dec. 12. It was one of a dozen or so celebrations of the feast in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of Mexico and the Americas.
Father Fernandez, pastor of St. Joseph, greeted those gathered with a familiar expression of cheer in Hispanic and Latino culture — “viva” — which, in English, means “long live.”
“Viva Cristo Rey (Christ the King). Viva Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) Viva San Juan Diego. Viva San Jose (St. Joseph),” said Father Fernandez, to which the congregation responded “Que viva.”
Father Fernandez told the congregation — filled with youth and families carrying babies and young children — they must commit to memory St. Juan Diego’s feast day, Dec. 9. It’s just as important as remembering other important dates, such as a wedding anniversary, he said.
“It’s important to identify with St. Juan Diego because we’ve all (immigrants) lived his life in this country,” said Father Fernandez. “No matter how fair-skinned we are, we’ll always be Hispanic and Latino. St. Juan Diego helps us to keep our identity.”
During his homily, Father Fernandez recalled the story of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego in 1531. Juan Diego was an Indigenous man who barely spoke Spanish, was new to the Catholic faith and faced many obstacles.
After the apparition, St. Juan Diego went to his bishop and told him what he’d experienced. But the bishop doubted him.
“We know how it bothers us when people do not understand us (because of language barriers). Imagine what it was like for St. Juan Diego” trying to tell the bishop that the Blessed Virgin Mary had appeared to him and relaying her message, said Father Fernandez. During that time, getting a meeting with a bishop would have been almost impossible, he noted, yet St. Juan Diego persevered.
“St. Juan Diego overcame many obstacles like us immigrants, who have struggled and persevered to make this country our home,” said Father Fernandez.
He encouraged his listeners to look to St. Juan Diego because he leads to Mary and Mary leads to Jesus.
The celebration included a dramatization of the apparition story performed by parish youth. Following Mass, the congregation took part in fellowship and shared cultural foods, such as tamales.
