At Midnight Mass, Archbishop Gomez Calls the Faithful ‘Heirs of Guadalupe’s Mission’
Archbishop Gomez reminds the faithful that they are the ‘Heirs of the Mission that Our Lady of Guadalupe gave to St. Juan Diego’ at Midnight Mass celebrating her feast
Tonight, thousands gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The festivities commemorated the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico, in December 1531, when she left her image on his tilma, or cloak. The Cathedral is home to the only relic of the tilma outside of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
“It is a joy to be with you on this historic night, as we celebrate the days in which the Holy Mother of God appeared to our ancestors in Mexico,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez.
Festivities began on the Cathedral Plaza with indigenous dancers and free seasonal treats on the Cathedral Plaza which was illuminated by projections of Our Lady of Guadalupe and roses. Faithful venerated of the relic of the tilma of St. Juan Diego, on which the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared nearly 500 years ago.
“Jesus is calling each of us to spread the good news of His love in our world. We are the heirs of the beautiful mission that Our Lady gave to St. Juan Diego,” said Archbishop Gomez during the homily. “Each of us in our own way has the same duty that Our Lady gave to Juan Diego, the same duty that God gave to her: to bring Jesus Christ into the world, into every area of our lives, by the way we live and by the way we love.”
The celebration continued inside the Cathedral with a special Rosary led by local Catholic high school students representing Bishop Conaty – Our Lady of Loretto High School, Bishop Mora Salesian High School and Sacred Heart High School who are part of Scholas USA established by the late Pope Francis more than 10 years ago when he served as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires with the goal of uniting young people from all over the world through education, creativity and the culture of encounter.
“She is not only the Mother of Mexico, she is the Mother of all the Americas,” said Archbishop Gomez. “With her coming, our country and every country in North and South America, is born ‘under God,’ and under the mantle of Holy Mary, every nation and every person under her loving protection and care, and every nation and person knows the saving power of her Son, Jesus Christ!”
The rosary accompanied by Cathedral’s Spanish Choir, followed by a serenade to the Virgin and “Las Mañanitas,” a traditional Mexican birthday song to honor the Virgin on her Feast Day. Festivities culminated with Midnight Mass celebrated by Archbishop Gomez.
This year’s musical tribute, or serenata, included the following performers (see full bios and headshots HERE):
- Los Primos del Este: a six-piece Mexican American band pioneering “norteño sax,” a modern take on norteño infused with saxophone.
- Salma Parra: this year’s top contestant of our very first singing competition earning a spot in the line-up of renowned artists to serenade Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Cathedral’s annual celebration. A 16-year-old self-taught vocalist and junior at Puente Hills High School, Salma was selected among dozens of entries.
- Jacky Ibarra: a Los Angeles native, was nominated as best new Christian artist and has performed at the Hollywood Bowl and St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Jacky has serenaded the Virgin on an annual basis at the Cathedral’s celebration for more than 20 years.
- Delilah: a rising Mexican American singer-songwriter and musician who discovered songwriting early, penning a tune about heartbreak at age 4. After losing her abuelita, the singer expressed her emotions through writing songs and singing, leaning on music as a way to “calm her heart.”
- Fabio Capri: a young man of Mexican descent who, with the fusion of sounds and inspirations permeating his music, is carving his path to becoming one of the most unique Mexican artists in the music industry.
- Chelo, Yesenia Flores & Hilda Michelle: three generations of musical legacy, mother, daughter and granddaughter, have shared the stage on tour and will continue their tradition of serenading the Virgin on her feast. Chelo is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress and a trailblazer in her field – becoming the first female Hispanic artist ever nominated for a Grammy. Chelo and her daughter Yesenia Flores formed a whole era of ranchera music which led them to sing throughout Mexico, Central and South America, Canada, as well as throughout the United States. Hilda Michelle began her musical journey at the age of four, when she recorded her first solo album with her mother Yesenia Flores’ support.
- Mariachi Ángeles de Pepe Martínez: led by the talented Pepe Martínez, Jr., will be accompanying the singers in serenading Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pepe Jr. draws on over 30 years of on-stage experience and the guidance of his father, the esteemed “Don Pepe,” whom he had the honor of working alongside for 23 years.
The celebration is possible by the support of this year’s presenting partners Catholic Communication Collaboration (C3) and Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. We are also grateful for Vallarta Markets, El Gallo Giro and Tacos Gavilan for their donations to the fiesta on the Cathedral Plaza; and EWTN and EWTN Español and El Sembrador for broadcasting the celebration.
The celebration was livestreamed on the Cathedral’s Facebook and YouTube pages, www.facebook.com/olacathedral and www.youtube.com/olacathedral. For more information, please visit www.olacathedral.org/guadalupe.