Teen wins contest to serenade Our Lady of Guadalupe at Mañanitas
Teen wins contest to serenade Our Lady of Guadalupe at annual Cathedral Mañanitas celebration
A 16-year-old girl from Hacienda Heights is the top contestant of the very first singing competition to earn a spot in the line-up of renowned artists to serenade Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Mañanitas Celebration on December 11. Salma Parra, a junior at Puente Hills High School, is a self-taught vocalist who was selected among dozens of entries from participants across Southern California.
“I love music and have been signing for my family since I was five years old!” said Parra. “My grandmother shared her love of the ‘Virgencita’ with me ever since I can remember. She is gone now, but has been a huge part of my faith journey and will be with me as I serenade Our Lady of Guadalupe. I am so excited for this opportunity to honor Our Lady!”
Parra and her family are parishioners of St. John Vianney Church in Hacienda Heights and also attend Mass and celebrations at St. Alphonsus in East Los Angeles where her grandparents were parishioners. Her family is tightly knit and together they run a boxing and jiu jitsu gym in La Puente where Parra is passionate about teaching children boxing and jiu jitsu to hone not only physical skills but also teaching them mutual respect and kindness.
“We have honored Our Lady of Guadalupe for her feast since the Cathedral was dedicated 23 years ago. I am thrilled that we are expanding our tradition this year by including faithful from our community who desire to share the gift of song to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe at our annual celebration,” said Father David Gallardo, pastor at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. “I am grateful for all who participated in the singing contest — this is a true testament of how Our Lady of Guadalupe unites us all in a very special way.”
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels will host the annual “Las Mañanitas a la Virgen de Guadalupe” celebration on Thursday, December 11 on the eve of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. with indigenous dancers and free seasonal treats on the Cathedral Plaza, as well as veneration of the relic of the tilma of St. Juan Diego, on which the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared. It is the only known relic in the United States.
At 10 p.m., the celebration continues inside the Cathedral for a special Rosary followed by a musical tribute, or serenata, beginning at 10:45 p.m. with a Mariachi performance and special guest singers invited to serenade the Virgin and sing “Las Mañanitas,” a traditional Mexican birthday song to honor the Virgin on her Feast Day. The festivities will conclude with a Mass at midnight celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez. For more information please visit, https://olacathedral.org/guadalupe.
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