Parishioners celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day

The Hispanic community of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Saturday, Dec. 12. Rain prevented holding a procession through downtown Demopolis, but it didn’t hamper the prayers, good food and fun.

Our Lady of Guadalupe holds a special place in the religious life of Mexico and is one of the most popular religious devotions. Her image has played an important role as a national symbol of the country.

For the celebration, the colors of Mexico decorated the tables in the parish hall, a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe held a place of honor, parishioners served foods native to the country, and several of them dressed in colorful costumes of Mexico.

According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a convert to Christianity, on Dec. 9 and again on Dec 12, 1531. During her first apparition, she requested that a shrine to her be built on the spot where she appeared, Tepeyac Hill, now in a suburb of Mexico City.

The bishop demanded a sign before he would approve construction of a church, however. Mary then appeared a second time to Juan Diego and told him to collect roses. In a second audience with the bishop, Juan Diego opened his cloak, letting dozens of roses fall to the floor and revealing the image of Mary imprinted on the inside of the cloak. That image now is venerated in the Basilica of Guadalupe.