Miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, on display at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.CHARLOTTE — In the wake of the Guadalupan Torch passing through western North Carolina, people across the Diocese of Charlotte are renewing their devotion to Mary and remembering her appearance nearly 500 years ago to St. Juan Diego on Mount Tepeyac in Mexico, on Dec. 12, 1531.
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most beloved and celebrated feast days on the Church calendar.
During his general audience for Dec. 11, 2013, Pope Francis remembered the patroness of the Americas, saying that “the appearance of the image of the Virgin on the cloak of Juan Diego was a prophetic sign of an embrace, the embrace of Mary to all the inhabitants of the vast American lands, to those who were already there and those who would arrive later. This embrace of Mary marked the path that often characterizes America: to be a land where people with different backgrounds can live together, a land capable of respecting human life in all its phases, from the mother’s womb to old age, capable of welcoming migrants, as well as peoples and the poor and marginalized of all times.”
Our Lady’s promise to accompany us was given to St. Juan Diego with these beautiful words: “Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that frightens you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing: do not let it disturb you. Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations planned in the Charlotte diocese:
St. Lawrence Basilica, Asheville
6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, rosary following Mass at 7 p.m.
Good Shepherd Mission, King
6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas and fellowship following Mass at 7 p.m.
Divine Redeemer Church, Boonville
9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, performances of the apparitions after Mass at 10:30 p.m.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, High Point
5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas followed by Mass and Mariachi at 7 p.m.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Charlotte
7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, rosary, dances, representation of the apparitions of the Virgin, songs and parade of flags.
9 p.m. Mass, followed by Mañanitas, dances, songs. At midnight, Mañanitas until 3 a.m.
4-6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mariachi Guadalupano followed by Mass. Procession at 11:40 a.m., prior to Mass at noon
Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro
6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, procession followed by 7 p.m. Mass.
Our Lady of Mercy Church, Winston-Salem
7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass followed by fellowship.
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Monroe
7 p.m. Novenas, Dec. 3-11, in the chapel.
5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas followed by 8 p.m. Mass.
Our Lady of the Americas Church, Biscoe
7 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, Mañanitas followed by performances and dances at 4 p.m. with Mass at 11 p.m.
5-7 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas.
Our Lady of the Angels Church, Marion
1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, Mass and procession.
7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass.
Our Lady of the Highways Church, Thomasville
11 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, Mañanitas.
7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass.
Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Lexington
6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, rosary, followed by Mass and fellowship at 7 p.m.
Holy Family Church, Clemmons
7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, Mass and fellowship.
Sacred Heart Church, Brevard
6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas followed by Mass at 6 p.m.
Sacred Heart Church, Burnsville
6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass.
St. Benedict the Moor Church, Winston-Salem
11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, procession followed by Mass, and fellowship at noon.
St. Barnabas the Apostle Church, Arden
7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass.
St. Charles Borromeo Church, Morganton
6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass followed by Mariachi and dinner.
St. Eugene Church, Asheville
11:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, Mass followed by feast.
St. Francis of Assisi Church, Franklin
8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, presentations of the apparitions with celebration with Mañanitas at midnight.
6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, procession followed by 7 p.m. Mass and fellowship.
St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jefferson
7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12 rosary followed by Mass 8 p.m.
St. John Neumann Church, Charlotte
6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12 rosary, followed by 7:30 p.m. Mass and reception.
St. Joseph Church, Kannapolis
9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, procession and fellowship, followed by Mass and Mañanitas at midnight.
St. Joseph Church, Newton
Noon Sunday, Dec. 12, Mass followed by Mañanitas.
St. John Baptist de La Salle Church, North Wilkesboro
11 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, Mass.
St. Jude Church, Sapphire
6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, procession and family gathering.
7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass.
St. Aloysius Church, Hickory
6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass followed by reception.
St. Mark Church, Huntersville
7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, bilingual Mass followed by a celebration in the parish hall.
St. Matthew Church, Charlotte
6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, discussion of the celebration of the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe and historical details about the Marian apparitions. Please bring a dish to share.
St. Michael Church, Gastonia
5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas followed by 5 p.m. procession, Mass and blessing of religious articles and great Guadalupan party in the school gymnasium with representation of the apparitions, dances and dinner.
St. James the Greater Church, Concord
8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, procession beginning with dances and presentations, followed by 11 p.m. Mass and Mañanitas.
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte
6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, rosary and procession around the church, followed by Mass.
Holy Cross Church, Kernersville
11 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, Mañanitas.
5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, procession and rosary followed by Mass at 7 p.m.
St. Elizabeth Church, Boone
6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass.
St. Frances of Rome Church, Sparta
6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mass.
St. Joan of Arc Church, Candler
6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, rosary followed by Mass at 7 p.m.
St. Mary Catholic Church, Greensboro
10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, rosary followed by Mass at 11 p.m.
12 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas until 1 a.m., followed by Mass at 7 p.m.
Holy Mary, Mother of God Church, Sylva
6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, procession, dances and representation of the apparitions, followed by Mass at 8:30 p.m. and Mañanitas at 10 p.m.
St. Mary Help of Christians Church, Shelby
6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, Novena and dances followed by Mass.
5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas followed by a light breakfast.
St. Mary Margaret Church, Swannanoa
5-7 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas, followed by Mass at 6 p.m.
St. Therese Church, Mooresville
5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Novena, Mass and fellowship until 9:30 p.m.
Holy Trinity Mission, Taylorsville
9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, rosary followed by Mass at 11 a.m.
Holy Infant Church, Reidsville
5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, Mañanitas followed by Mass at 7 p.m.
Holy Angels Church, Mount Airy
12:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, Mass followed by folkloric dances.
Special program in Asheville
Everyone is invited to join a public celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe at 1-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at the WNC Agricultural Center, located at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road in Fletcher. The day will begin with a procession, followed by Mass, Mañanitas, dances and representations of the Guadalupan apparitions. Food and drinks will be available. A $5 donation is requested.
— César Hurtado