Queen of Angels to host Feast for Our Lady of Guadalupe

By Jason Schoonover | Austin Daily Herald

Published Thursday, December 10, 2009

Queen of Angels Church will hold its annual Feast for Our Lady of Guadalupe this weekend.

The celebration kicks off with a rosary at 7:30 p.m. Friday and mass at 8 p.m. in the church, with food served in the basement.

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to Dec. 12, 1531, when, as the story goes, a depiction of the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on a cloak. The image is an important symbol to many Mexican Catholics.

"It's in honor of her because she brought Christ to them," said Mary Bassett, a pastoral associate at Queen of Angels. "She brought Christianity to the Indian people in Mexico, so that's why the feast is important."

The cloak and painting is located in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

Here in Austin, a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe is passed to different homes for 46 days leading to the celebration. Families can pray over the statue and keep it overnight before returning it to the church to prepare for the feast.

The 46 days represent the 46 starts on Mary's cloak in the original painting.

The Queen of Angels celebration starts with the vigil leading up to Dec. 12. Bassett described the celebration as an all night vigil that is both pious and happy.

Bassett expects a large attendance since the celebration falls on a Friday.

The celebration is not a traditional church service with a set time frame. Bassett said the celebration begins when people are ready, and participants come and go throughout the celebration. They can also get food in the basement when they choose.

Queen of Angels has a large statue of Mary in the church that will be a focal point of the celebration. Many people bring roses and other flowers to surround the statue.

One key part of the vigil will be performances by Aztec dancers, played by area high school students, who will dance to the statue of Mary.

Bassett said the celebration is not a superstitious, but a faith based celebration of the Virgin Mary.

"It's not just a disconnected love of an apparition or something," she said. "It's about recognizing that she's the mother of God, and that this has to do with their overall faith."

A mariachi band is scheduled to perform around 11 p.m. until midnight when the feast begins. Between the start of mass at 8 p.m. and the mariachi band, a number of activities are planned.

Many children come dressed as Indians, and they will be presented during the celebration. The neo-catecumenado, a church bible study and choir group, will sing, and two bands will perform.

Other singers and dancers could perform during the celebration that often lasts until 2 or 3 a.m.

The feast comes to a close at another mass at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Since some people are unable to come to celebration Friday, another celebration is held during the 11 a.m. mass on Sunday, which is always held in Spanish. Breakfast in the basement will follow.

The celebration, like 11 a.m. Sunday mass, is held in Spanish, but Bassett said anyone can enjoy the celebration: "If you don't speak Spanish it's not a big problem. They're not dancing in Spanish, they're just dancing."

Other churches in the U.S. and Mexico will also celebrate the over the weekend.

"Other parishes and other place celebrate in different ways," she said. "It's just the way it's developed here in Austin. This is the way we do it, but it's not the only way."

Bassett said she and other in the church are looking forward to a successful celebration this year.

"It's really the high point of the year for most of the Hispanic community here," Bassett said.

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