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Diocese prepares to honor patroness with Mass, music
By Ambria Hammel The Catholic Sun
December 6, 2007
Organizers of the second annual diocesan-wide Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration expect a repeat of what occurred four centuries ago: the Blessed Mother bringing unity to a diverse community.
The daylong diocesan celebration Dec. 9 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center will feature a procession, Mass, cultural dancing and concerts. Dubbed “Honor Your Mother,” the gala is also designed to unite Hispanic and non-Hispanic Catholics under Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the diocese and the Americas.
“She brings two different [groups of] people together,” said Armando Ruiz, a member of Mary’s Ministries, one of the event’s organizers.
The Virgin of Guadalupe brought the Europeans and indigenous Mexicans together in 1531 by leaving a miraculous image of herself on St. Juan Diego tilma.
“Her appearance signals a moment in time where the perspective is totally different. The dignity of the person is transformed and recognized,” Ruiz said.
“Now this is the outgrowth of that apparition,” Ruiz said of the Phoenix event. This time, it’s the Hispanic and Anglo cultures within the diocese that need to unite.
Communion between the two groups is important, he said, because of the influx of Hispanic immigrants.
Ed Cortez, a parishioner at Christ the King in Mesa and a member of the event’s hospitality committee, expects Catholics of different cultures to gather in honor of the mother they share.
“This could really start grouping everyone together as a family like we should be rather than having language as a barrier,” Cortez said.
He believes the musical part of the celebration will help with that. Artists and bands will perform everything from traditional music to praise and worship tunes in English and Spanish.
Performers, including Chris Muglia and Colombian artist Guillermo Valencia, will appear on 26 stages surrounding the Diocesan Pastoral Center.
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted will celebrate an outdoor bilingual Mass at 11 a.m. It will be preceded by a procession from downtown Phoenix’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish at 9:30 a.m. with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe leading the way.
“The amount of people it takes to hold the image always makes a good visual to the city,” said Ignacio Rodriguez, associate director of the Division of Ethnic Ministries for the diocese. It takes several people to carry the 6-foot image on a half-mile procession.
Roughly 2,500 Catholics participated in the procession last year.
Like last year, the first floats will feature Catholics dressed as Juan Diego and the Blessed Mother. Dancers from Danza Guadalupana and other cultural performers will follow.
The procession begins at Immaculate Heart Parish on Washington Street and travels four blocks west to Fifth Street before heading north. It finishes on Monroe Street where Bishop Olmsted will greet marchers.
The music festival begins after Mass and continues throughout the afternoon. Eucharistic adoration will be available at the same time inside St. Mary’s Basilica. Children’s activities will also be available.
The celebration will end at 7:30 p.m. with with Benediction at the basilica.
“There’s no better way to close than with our Lord,” said Rey Ruiz, another organizer with Mary’s Ministries. “Mary always brings us to her Son.”
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