Sights & Sounds: Dominican community honors Our Lady of Altagracia
On Jan. 23, members of the Dominican Community from the Archdiocese of Newark gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ, braving freezing temperatures to honor Our Lady of Altagracia (Our Lady of High Grace).
Mass was celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Manuel A. Cruz. Among the concelebrants were Bishop Emeritus Gregory J. Studerus and Father Alex Gaitain, coordinator of the Immigration Ministry of the Archdiocese of Newark.
Deacon Asterio Velasco, coordinator of the Hispanic Ministry for the archdiocese, was also present at the celebration.
Patroness of the Dominican Republic
Our Lady of Altagracia, whose feast day is celebrated on Jan. 21, is the patroness of the Dominican Republic. The title also refers to a sacred painting that depicts Mary with Jesus and Joseph, venerated at the Basilica of Altagracia in Higüey, Dominican Republic.
According to tradition, the artwork was brought to the island from Spain by two brothers, Alfonso and Antonio Trejo. They eventually transported the painting to Higüey and offered it to the city’s parish church. In the years that followed, various legends arose about the painting’s origin. What is undisputed is that Our Lady of Altagracia became a great source of devotion and the spiritual mother of the Dominican people.
To view more images of the celebration honoring Our Lady of Altagracia, click HERE.
Featured image: Worshippers pose with an image of Our Lady of Altagracia during a Mass celebrated by the Dominican community at the Basilica Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ, on Jan. 23. (Photo by Julio Eduardo Herrera / Archdiocese of Newark)
