5 Hudson County parishes honor Our Lady of Guadalupe together
This year’s celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe held special significance for five Hudson County parishes. Saint Paul of the Cross, Saint Nicholas, Saint Ann, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Saint Aedan parishes banded together for a joint celebration of the feast day on Dec. 12, expressing their devotion to the Holy Virgin, their unity, and their desire to work closely together to witness to the faith.
Hosted by Saint Aedan’s Parish in Jersey City, the Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration drew hundreds of worshippers who prayed the Rosary together, joined a public procession through city streets, and attended Mass honoring Our Lady. The evening ended with music, food, and fellowship.
An old baptistry in Saint Aedan’s Church was recently converted into a vibrant shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The shrine features a copy of the miraculous image of Mary, along with a painting depicting the moment when Saint Juan Diego opened his tilma before Bishop Juan de Zumárraga, revealing the flowers he had collected on the hill of Tepeyac and the miraculous image on his cloak.
After praying the Rosary, pilgrims accompanied an image and statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a nighttime procession through the streets around Saint Aedan’s. Instrumental music, hymns, and prayers accompanied the Virgin and pilgrims as they passed shops and residential buildings. The four visiting parishes set up four small altars along the route, where pilgrims prayed together.
Opening hearts to the voice of Mary
Later, after returning to the church, a teenage boy acted the role of Saint Juan Diego and reenacted the dramatic moment when the saint revealed the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to his bishop.
Father Pedro Repollet, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and dean of Jersey City North, then celebrated Mass. Joining him at the altar were Father Asiel Rodriguez, pastor of Saint Aedan’s Parish; Father Emmanuel Agu, pastor of St. Anne’s Parish; Father Dani De la Pena, pastor of Saint Nicholas Parish; Father Hermes Diaz, administrator of St. Paul of the Cross Parish; and Father Alex Gaitain, coordinator of immigration ministry for the Archdiocese of Newark. Deacon Luis Oswaldo Sanchez and Deacon Rigoberto Carabantes assisted at the Mass.
In his homily, Father Repollet referred a phrase that Our Lady spoke to Juan Diego, which is painted above an archway in the new chapel: ¿Acaso no estoy yo aqui que soy tu madre? (Am I not here, I who am your mother?)
“Today, these same words resound in our hearts,” said Father Repollet, “and we open ourselves to that voice of Mary who wants to lead us to the words spoken from the cross. Mary teaches us true greatness: it is not found in power, but in allowing God to act within us.”
“From the cross, Jesus gave Mary to us as our mother,” he said. “Our Lady of Guadalupe is the historical confirmation of this gift. She does not belong to just one village, but to the whole Church.”
“Children of the Virgin”
Parishioners from the five churches had been meeting regularly since Oct. 22 to plan and carry out the event. They said they were inspired by the archdiocese’s We Are His Witnesses initiative to find new ways to collaborate and evangelize.
One of the organizers from Saint Aidan’s, Dennis Lansang, told Jersey Catholic that it was a very successful collaboration. “The most striking thing for me was how generous everyone was with their time, talent, and treasure,” Lansang said. “There was true collaboration, with most of the discussions and suggestions being done in a WhatsApp group chat where all could participate.”
In his homily, Father Rodriguez thanked those who helped make the joint celebration a success. “We all know that we are children of the Virgin and that we come to this holy place becoming one single community,” he said. “Tonight, we are one parish. We know that when we unite, we are stronger. To our priests, thank you, brothers, for saying yes to this occasion. You are always welcome at St. Aedan’s.”
Father Repollet also expressed his gratitude and added that “this is the beginning of many things.”
Many of those gathered stayed after Mass to continue the celebration and enjoy a light dinner with food provided by all five parishes.
To view more images of the Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration, click HERE.
Featured image: Five Hudson County parishes held a joint Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration, including a procession and Mass on Dec. 12. (Photo by Shania Mosquera / Archdiocese of Newark)
