Archbishop Gomez presents 45,000 prayer intentions from faithful during pilgrimage Mass

Today, more than 300 faithful from across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles joined Archbishop José H. Gomez for a special Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The Mass was concelebrated by more than 15 local priests, three deacons, and Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishops Brian Nunes for the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, Marc Trudeau for the San Pedro Pastoral Region, Matthew Elshoff for the Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region, and Slawomir Szkredka for the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region. Mass was livestreamed on lacatholics.org/pilgrimage and https://www.youtube.com/@basilicadeguadalupe.

“It is our privilege to be here in this holy place. I know I share with you this feeling of joy as we worship in the presence of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” said Archbishop Gomez during the homily (full text below). “As we come before the sacred tilma, and as we lift our eyes to gaze into her eyes — we hear the echo of our Lady’s tender words to St. Juan Diego: ‘Am I not your mother?’”

During the Mass, Archbishop Gomez presented 45,000 prayer intentions for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe from faithful across the Archdiocese.

“In a special way, we come today with the petitions and prayer requests of many people from Los Angeles,” said Archbishop Gomez. “We lay them at the foot of the Virgin and we ask for her intercession for all our needs.”

The prayer intentions were collected throughout the course of the annual Archdiocesan pilgrimage of the images of Our Lady of Gudalupe and St. Juan Diego to parishes, schools and cemeteries across the Archdiocese; and at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, all 11 locations of the Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries, and online from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day so that those who could not join the pilgrimage in person could join in prayer.

“Each of us here today has that same duty — to bring Jesus into our homes, into our work, into our conversations, into every aspect of our ordinary daily life in society. Jesus does not ask us for great gestures or big displays. We bring Jesus into the world by simply being faithful to Him — by loving Him and serving our brothers and sisters in love,” said Archbishop Gomez during the homily. “So brothers and sisters, as we stand today at the feet of the Virgin of Guadalupe, let us consecrate ourselves to her.”

Pilgrims represent several parish communities including Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood, Holy Family in Glendale, Presentation of Mary in Los Angeles, St. Anthony in El Segundo, St. John Fisher in Rancho Palos Verdes, St. John of God in Norwalk, and St. Rosa of Lima in Maywood.

“My relationship with Our Lady of Guadalupe began at a very young age, as my mother had a deep devotion to her. Whenever there were challenges in my life my mom would say ‘pray with Our Lady she is always with you,’” said pilgrim Terri Palmer with the group from St. John Fisher in Rancho Palos Verdes. “After my mom’s death, my relationship with Our Lady deepened and my conversations with her intensified. She has showered me with many gifts and blessings. Her most recent gift was after my husband’s car accident, she consoled him and stayed by his side until I arrived at the hospital. To be here with her today, is the greatest gift she could give me.”

With 26 pilgrims from as far as New York City, many will visited historic sites including ancient pyramids, Sanctuary of the Fifth Guadalupan Apparition in Tulpetlac and Holy Family Church in Mexico City.

“This is my fourth pilgrimage – it’s part of my spiritual growth and healing, and it’s how I live my faith. Every time I visit Our Lady of Guadalupe, I am moved by her loving and tender gaze looking down at me,” pilgrim Irma Llamas with the group from St. Rose of Lima in Maywood. “I am praying in particular for our youth – they are our future and the ones who will carry the Gospel forward.”

Following the Mass, the pilgrims gathered for a talk about Our Lady of Guadalupe by Ernesto Vega, Coordinator of the Faith Formation Ministry for Hispanic Adults of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Since 1995, Mr. Vega has studied the Virgin of Guadalupe with expert Father José Luis Guerrero Rosado, and continues to learn about the historical context of the apparitions of the Virgin to St. Juan Diego, focusing on the symbolic interpretation of the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

“My hope is to help the pilgrims become aware of God’s love in Christ manifested through Our Lady of Guadalupe,” said Mr. Vega. “She presents herself as Mother of God and invites us all to accept her loving maternal guidance towards her son Jesus. Her reminds us of that loving invitation, she left a powerful visual sign of love, respect, inclusion, inculturation, and of building the civilization of love.”

This year’s pilgrimage is especially significant as this year Catholics around the world celebrate 495 years since Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared as the mother of all humanity on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico in 1531 to St. Juan Diego. This year also marks the 50^th anniversary of the consecration of the modern Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe which is built directly across from the original church completed in 1709.

For nearly 500 years, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been the symbol of hope, peace and love, uniting peoples around the world as one family of God. The Basilica at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world.

Photos from the Mass and pilgrimage are available at https://archdioceseoflosangeles.pixieset.com/lacatholicsmexicocitypilgrimagejuly10/.

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Homily (as prepared) — Annual Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Guadalupe

Most Reverend José H. Gomez

Archbishop of Los Angeles

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mexico City, Mexico

July 11, 2026

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

It is our privilege to be here in this holy place. I know I share with you this feeling of joy as we worship in the presence of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

As we come before the sacred tilma, and as we lift our eyes to gaze into her eyes — we hear the echo of our Lady’s tender words to St. Juan Diego:

“Am I not your mother? Are you not under my shadow and my gaze? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not sheltered underneath my mantle, under the embrace of my arms?”

Mary is our mother.

This is the beautiful truth revealed in her apparition at Tepeyac. She is our mother, the mother of all who find new life in her Son, Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel today, we hear those powerful words from St. Elizabeth: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

What a question this is! These are words of joy, words of wonder. And today we also feel this sense of wonder and amazement.

The mother of our Lord has come to us! She enters into our lives, just as once she came to Elizabeth in the hill country of Judah.

Mary comes to us now — and she brings Jesus to us.

At Tepeyac, Mary comes to bring Jesus to us. He is there, in the womb of his Mother. The heart of Jesus Christ — our Lord and Redeemer — beats beneath her heart. The same heart that was in the Holy Child at Bethlehem; the same heart that was pierced on the cross at Calvary.

St. Paul tells us today in the second reading: “God sent his Son, born of a woman … so that we might receive adoption. … God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Jesus was born of Mary, so that we might be born as children of God!

This is the truth about who we are, my brothers and sisters. We are God’s children now! We are children of Mary, brothers and sisters of her Son, Jesus.

This is why we feel such joy today. It is the joy of renewing our faith in this truth. It is the joy of remembering that God has poured His Spirit into our hearts, so that we can share in His divine life.

And Jesus calls us now to follow Him and to walk with Him and spread His love and joy to the ends of the earth.

My dear brothers and sisters, the joy that we feel today — this joy of knowing that we are children of God — and this is not something we can keep to ourselves.

Love and joy are meant to be shared! These are gifts from God that He wants us to bring to others.

Jesus is calling all of us to bring His love to the world, just as our Blessed Mother carried Him to St. Elizabeth. Each of us here today has that same duty — to bring Jesus into our homes, into our work, into our conversations, into every aspect of our ordinary daily life in society.

Jesus does not ask us for great gestures or big displays. We bring Jesus into the world by simply being faithful to Him — by loving Him and serving our brothers and sisters in love.

So brothers and sisters, as we stand today at the feet of the Virgin of Guadalupe, let us consecrate ourselves to her.

In a special way, we come today with the petitions and prayer requests of many people from Los Angeles. We lay them at the foot of the Virgin and we ask for her intercession for all our needs.

Let us say, “All for you, Mary,” as we try to bring the joy of Jesus into everything we do.

Let us ask her to intercede for us today — to be a mother to us and to keep us in the shadow of her gaze. May we learn to love her more and more, with a child’s love and with tender affection.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us! Be our mother, and bring Jesus to us, so we might bring Jesus to others!

¡Que Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!
¡Que viva San Juan Diego!
!Que viva Beato Miguel Pro!
¡Que viva San Junípero Serra!
¡Que viva Cristo Rey!
¡Que viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!