Staffed by the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius  |  Serving the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois

Gaudete in Domino semper; iterum dico, gaudete!

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; I say it again, rejoice!  This liturgical year enjoyed the beautiful coincidence of Gaudete Sunday and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the same day.  

Nearly 500 years ago, God sent the Blessed Virgin Mary to the New World to bring His Son, Jesus Christ, into the hearts of the natives in Mexico and beyond. Of course, the Mother of God, from the very beginning, has never ceased to intercede for those God calls to be His children. As the apparitions of our Lady of Guadalupe effected the viable of birth of the Catholic Christian Faith in Mexico, she is duly honored with rejoicing and devout veneration.

The faithful of St. Katharine Drexel gathered in Sacred Heart Church to serenade Our Lady of Guadalupe

(las Mañanitas) before the celebration of the Gaudete Sunday Spanish Mass, after which they formed a procession to carry the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe around the block while praying the Holy Rosary.

The procession concluded in the parish center, where a cast of five performed a live dramatization of the history of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego.  Finally, a delicious potluck meal was enjoyed by all in honor of our Blessed Mother and our Divine Savior, Jesus Christ.