Holy Cross community unites to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe in celebration
By Maggie Parsons
Joy in a celebration of tradition brought together the community of faith at Holy Cross Parish in Pigeon Forge on Dec, 12, for its annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration.
The celebration at Holy Cross started early in the morning, lasted throughout the day, and continued past midnight. Honoring Mary in each part of the day highlighted how one must keep her story alive.
“Devotion to Our Lady strengthens our call to evangelization and charity, because we learn from her example how she brought the Word of God into the world, even though a sword of sorrow would pierce her heart,” Father Michael Hendershott, pastor of Holy Cross Parish, said on the beauty of the intimate relationship each person is called to have with Mary.
Parishioners of Holy Cross Parish process through Pigeon Forge on the evening of Dec. 12.
To start the evening portion of the celebration, Father Hendershott led a procession, accompanied by altar servers, circling around the Pigeon Forge area. With the sun setting, parishioners were led in song as they passed the busy roads of the city all to honor their Blessed Mother. Ending the procession across from the road from the church, the parishioners gathered around a shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe surrounded by roses to symbolize the miracle given to St. Juan Diego. The stop at the shrine gave each parishioner the opportunity to gaze upon the beauty of their Blessed Mother.
Following the procession, the community displayed one of the ways one can honor Mary by bringing the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe to life and the impact she had on St. Juan Diego’s own journey. Children of the parish participated in their own ways to bring life to the story. By narrating, or imitating a vital character in the story, each participant displayed the grace that was exhibited in the story.
Proceeding the reenactment of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s story with St. Juan Diego, parishioners were invited to sit and begin to prepare to participate in the Holy Sacrament of the Mass. As those of all ages were in attendance, the room became full, with room only left to stand as over 650 parishioners in attendance were gathered in community to participate in communion together.
In his homily, Father Hendershott discussed why the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego is so important to the Church and how we must learn from what it teaches us.
“Juan Diego said to Our Lady of Guadalupe when she appeared to him for the first time, ‘I have to go Mass, I have to get Mass.’ The Mother of God just appeared to you, and he has to say, ‘Excuse me, I need to go to Mass. I need to go see your son. I need to go receive the Holy Eucharist,'” he said.
“Our Lady affirms Juan Diego’s words. She says, ‘Listen carefully, Juan Diego. It is necessary that you be the one to convey my will to that good man. Do not fear, he will surely receive you.’ Our blessed Mother Mary affirmed that Juan Diego’s bishop was a good man, because he thought that good Christians must celebrate the Eucharist,” Father Hendershott continued. He highlighted one of the important things that must be said about their story, that Mary trusted Juan Diego to go and convey her will to the bishop because of their shared love of her son, something that each person of each nation is called to have.
Father Hendershott explained one of the many reasons why Our Lady of Guadalupe’s story is important for all Catholics, to abide in her care and loving arms.
Children enact the story of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe at Holy Cross Church.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe came to the Americas to remind us that she is our mother and to bring us her maternal comfort. When she appeared to St. Juan Diego, she said, ‘It is well, littlest and dearest of my sons, but now listen to me. Do not let anything afflict you and be not afraid of illness or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need? Do not fear your uncle for he is not going to die. Be assured he is already well,'” he said.
“Many of our parishioners are from the region where she appeared, and so they are grateful to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe’s maternal care and concern for our lives, wherever we find ourselves, and bring Our heavenly Mother’s care and concern to others,” Father Hendershott exclaimed, highlighting the beauty the community of his parish has and how their gratitude is outpoured through it.
After Mass, parishioners were invited to participate in a reception to continue the celebration. A picture of Our Lady was displayed on each table, keeping the celebration centered towards her honor. The reception included many more cultural tributes to Our Lady, through dancing, singing, and partaking in a meal of traditional dishes.
Everyone is called to honor Mary in their own each and unique way, and how each person chooses to display that can be the beauty in itself.
“Trying to practice exactly what she would expect and what Jesus expects from all of us: to be kind, compassionate, caring, and giving,” Martha Clinton, a parishioner of Holy Cross, said about honoring Mary in her daily life.
Holy Cross parishioners celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with music and dancing on Dec. 12.
By honoring Mary, we are gaining that closeness with her son through her that she wants for each one of us. We recognize how they both want us to abide in the comfort of their care, as their children, to have the trust that we are protected by them.
“I hope that our parishioners find renewed confidence in Our Heavenly Mother’s love and care for us, who abide in her shadow and protection, in the crossing of her arms,” Father Hendershott said.
A celebration to honor Mary is a reminder for all to not forget all that she does for her children. In its own unique way, the tradition of each of her feast days unites a community of the faithful who want to renew their relationship with their heavenly Mother through the love they have with her.