Fr. Ari Saputra, SCJ, an Indonesian priest preparing for ministry in the US Province, was one of several Dehonians who assisted the pastoral team at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Houston for its feast-day celebrations. He shares his experience:
“¡Holla! ¿Cuanto tiempo llevas aqui?” (Hello! How long have you been in this line?) I asked people who were standing in a long queue on the sidewalk in front of the church. It was around 10:30 p.m. on December 11, 2024, on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The weather was quite cold, but the line continued to grow; it seemed endless. They were waiting to get into the church for a blessing.
“¡Bastante tiempo!” (It’s been for a while!) “¡Una hora!” (One hour!) They answered with smiles on their faces.
Theses smiles touched my heart deeply. I have no idea as to how to describe it, but I could feel the spirit and faith of the people standing in that line. A question popped up in my mind: if I were them, would I be willing to do as they did? Would I leave my warm home, travel for miles and then stand in front of a church late at night, waiting for sometimes hours?
Then I realized that if there is no spirit or faith, it will not happen. If there is no spirit, people would think twice before leaving the warmth and comfort of their house to stand in line in cold weather. Or perhaps they would not go at all. As I reflected upon the devotion of the people, I felt the presence of the Spirit that also fortified me doing ministry on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in our Dehonian church in Houston.
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most important celebrations at this parish. It is not only the patronal feast, but a celebration of the faith of the people of God in this area, rooted at the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Juan Diego in Tepeye Hill, Mexico in 1531.
We are told that Mary appeared to Juan Diego asking him to go to the bishop to tell him to build a church in that place. She added that he should collect roses from around the hill and give them to the bishop as a sign. Juan Diego collected the roses in his old tilma (a Mexican cloak). When Diego opened the tilma in front of the bishop, the roses fell out and a miraculous image of Mary, now known as Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Queen of Mexico and the patroness of the Americas, appeared on the tilma. It is this miracle that we celebrate on December 12.
For this feast, people make a pilgrimage to visit and pray at churches or shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. At our parish in Houston, the celebration of the feast begins on the afternoon of December 11 and goes until late in the evening of December 12. People travel from all over the Houston area to take part. They come to the church for Mass and a blessing. Then, they continue praying at the OLG shrine, bringing roses or candles.
Beginning on December 11, “people begin to come to the parish, often bringing roses to express their faith, as Juan Diego brought the roses as a sign of Mary’s presence,” said Fr. Rafael Querobin, SCJ, the parish pastor.
The celebration is not only a religious celebration, but also a celebration of Mexican culture. There is traditional singing and dancing. Joy fills the air.
“This is a beautiful tradition.” said Fr. Rafael, “Thousands of people came from across Houston and other part of Texas to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe.”
The people come from many areas, but are united in their faith. The hospitality of the feast comes alive in the parish motto: “Nuestra casa e su casa!” – our home is your home.
Faith that transcends fear
At the end of the evening, when the doors of the church were about to close, a young married couple knocked. In their arms was their baby, who had been born prematurely. They begged to be allowed in; the baby had just been released from the hospital and still had a breathing tube. Moved by deep faith, they wanted to come to the church to offer thanks and praise. I was greatly moved by their deep faith. In the celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe I found faith that transcends fear and worry. “How great Thou art, O Lord!”
This was the first time that I celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Houston. And even though I do not know Spanish properly, I could feel the great the love of the people for their faith and the devotion to Our Lady. As a Dehonian, it reminded me of the need to grow closer to our mother, from whom we can learn how to live fiat, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38).
“Que viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!”
