A young girl and hundreds of others attended a Mass at Columbus Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization Parish on Dec. 12, the Virgin’s feast day. Bishop Earl Fernandes has designated the church as a diocesan shrine. CT photo by Ken Snow
The freezing, below-20-degree temperature didn’t stop Mexicans and others from different cultures from joining the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe earlier this month.
Columbus Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of New Evangelization Parish had numerous people in attendance to celebrate the feast on Thursday, Dec. 12. Some had to stand for the Mass. The hospitality team worked hard to find places for people to sit comfortably.
People wore unique clothing such as ponchos, scarves and hoodies with vibrantly colored images of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Some shouted in the celebration, “¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!”
Bishop Earl Fernandes emphasized in his homily that all are brothers and sisters with a heavenly mother who loves her children. He said they should not worry and lay their difficulties in her hands. “¿Acaso no estoy yo aquí, que soy tu Madre?” which in English means, “Am I not here who am your mother?”
The bishop spoke about St. Therese of Lisieux and how she embraced her vocation: “In the heart of the Church, my mother, I will be love.” The bishop exhorted the faithful to embrace the vocation of love: loving one another and representing love inside their churches.
“Love is the cure,” Bishop Fernandes said.
After his homily, the bishop read a decree stating that Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of New Evangelization deserves the designation of diocesan shrine, where pilgrims can find refuge and hope in Columbus, because of its architectural beauty and devotion.
Father Antonio Carvalho, the parish pastor, expressed gratitude to all present, including the Brazilian community.
He shared a testimony of an individual at Mass who nearly died during the COVID-19 pandemic. He anointed the individual and a month later saw that person bringing flowers to Our Lady inside the church.
Bishop Fernandes encouraged the Christian faithful to make frequent pilgrimages to the shrine to ask for the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
That evening, all kneeled and offered a special consecration prayer to the Virgin Mary. A special blessing was offered for children.
Several expressed enthusiasm about the celebration.
“We are happy that the bishop is here, and that, instead of closing the church, they raised it higher by making it a sanctuary. It will become a place of pilgrimage, of many graces and blessings. God does not stop pouring out blessings,” said Jesus Rincon, leader of the Emmaus Men’s Group, a catechist and lector.
“The bishop’s homily was wonderful. I feel blessed to serve here. I have two years as a hospitality member and one year as a catechist assistant. I encourage more people to come to the churches and pray the holy rosary because it is very powerful. The Virgin Mary intercedes greatly for us,” Saul Sanchez Santos said.
Many stayed for a special gathering afterward with food and music for the celebration honoring the Blessed Mother.
“It is an experience to be lived from the heart,” said Leonor Banderas, a parishioner who has been in Columbus for 29 years. “Today, all of Mexico is celebrating. Every corner of Mexico has a Virgin of Guadalupe in its house. We live to the fullest the tradition of our ancestors and the history of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
“I am very excited to say this because, spiritually, I feel full and satisfied to celebrate this special day. I keep coming to this parish because of our faith in the Virgin of Guadalupe.”
“My family and I are blessed and happy to be here with the bishop,” Cecilia Sandoval, 18, said.
Griselda Illescas, a 24-year parishioner, returned to the church thanks to daily prayers of the holy rosary.
Her daughters weren’t baptized for an extended period. When someone from the parish brought the Virgin of Guadalupe to her house and talked about the sacraments, her 10-year-old daughter said that she wanted to be baptized, and she did not want to be a creature of God but a daughter of God.
Another daughter in Mexico could not have children, and she prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. When her daughter came to the United States, she discovered she was pregnant, Illescas said.
People from various cultures participated in the festivities. Bishop Fernandes, who remained for the entire celebration, cut cake to share with everybody, chatted with those present and took pictures.
Asked what stood out to him during the Mass celebration, he said, “I am very impressed with how many people were there and their enthusiasm and joy. They have a tough life, yet they rejoice by being loved by God and the Virgin of Guadalupe, which gives them hope.
“And so, when I see them, I think of my family when we came to America 50 years ago, having nothing but our faith. So, I see their story as my story, so I feel close to them, and I am happy that God is close to them and the Virgin of Guadalupe is close to them.”
Father Carvalho spoke with joy that the former Columbus Holy Name and Santa Cruz parishes were set to be closed but became one under a new name, and that the new parish was designated as a diocesan shrine.
“God has His ways that we cannot understand,” Father Carvalho said. “We are living in an extreme spiritual battle, and certainly, evil wants to keep people away from the sacraments and God. But when we trust, surrender and wait for the work of God, I am sure that the Lord is greater, and this is very concrete proof because there are two parishes, which were not closed, or better, closed, yes, but a new one was born with a new name and the name just the diocesan shrine that we have.
“In other words, I see the victory of the Lord through Mary of Guadalupe, who triumphed and brought many souls to God. She told Juan Dieguito to erect a little house for her, and this was the little house that was erected for her. This is how I see it.”
As a Marian priest, he advised following the words of Padre Pio, who said people are called to holiness in their frailties and littleness.
Father Carvalho noted that Pope Francis also reminds people of God’s love and that they must trust in the love that God has placed in each of them.
“I want to say that Padre Pio said by meditating on the birth, the death, the baptism of the Lord, we can be saints. How do we meditate beautifully on the life, the passion, the death and resurrection of Christ? Praying the holy rosary,” Father Carvalho said.
“In the spiritual struggle, let us have the holy rosary. Pray not with words spoken to the wind but with the heart because Our Lady is a magnet, as (Sister) Lucia (of Fatima) said, a magnet between our souls and the heart of Jesus. We need grace, so let us ask with confidence. After the Holy Eucharist, the most important prayer is the recitation of the holy rosary. I do not say this myself, but (it is) the Church and the saints who teach us.”