Bishop John Dolan celebrated his first-ever Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on Tuesday (July 28). The basilica is the most-visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, welcoming over 20 million pilgrims annually. It is also where the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Phoenix diocese, resides.
Daniel Carlisi, a Diocese of Phoenix seminarian from Sacred Heart Parish in Prescott, Ariz., served at the Mass alongside the bishop. He just completed his Spanish immersion opportunity in Mexico City, which is part of his seminary formation. Martha Gamez, the Mission Advancement director of engagement for the Diocese of Phoenix read the first reading. Before the Mass, Bishop Dolan and the group he is traveling with received a private guided tour of the grounds, including the basilica and Tepeyac Hill.
The historic Mass took place during year two of Bishop Dolan’s seven-year pastoral plan on evangelization called TILMA — Testifica, oh Iglesia, a la Luz del Misterio del Amor (Testify, O Church, to the Light of the Mystery of Love). His plan, inspired by Our Lady of Guadalupe, was developed to foster a renewed culture of evangelization in the diocese leading up to the 500th anniversary of her apparitions in 2031.
Livestream of the Mass:
Bishop Dolan shares a message after celebrating Mass at the basilica:
