Print Issue: April 11, 2002
Mexico Pilgrimage Planned For Juan Diego's Canonization
By Priscilla Greear, Staff Writer
ATLANTA - The Archdiocese of Atlanta invites Catholics on a pilgrimage to Mexico July 28-Aug. 3 to experience the canonization by Pope John Paul II of the Indian peasant Juan Diego, whose visions of the Virgin of Guadalupe are at the root of Mexican Catholicism.
The pilgrimage will be led by native Mexicans, Father Abel Guerrero, parochial vicar at St. Joseph Church, Dalton, who will serve as spiritual director, and Silvia Maldonado, administrative assistant in the Hispanic Apostolate.
In addition, Archbishop John F. Donoghue will preside at a Mass to celebrate the canonization locally on July 30 at 7 p.m. on the field at St. Pius X High School, 2674 Johnson Road, NE. Afterward there will be mariachi music, folkloric dances and refreshments.
Gonzalo Saldaņa, director of the Hispanic Apostolate, encouraged people to consider making the pilgrimage, calling the canonization "a historic moment."
"It's no more (seen as) a myth, it's something that's been real, that's been proven. . . (Diego) was the one who was the key instrument in letting everyone know about Our Lady of Guadalupe," he said. "It's a great cultural experience to visit Mexico and the basilica. It's also a good opportunity to know the culture. Religiously it will be a tremendous experience."
Since Our Lady of Guadalupe has been named the patroness of all the Americas, Maldonado called the event a celebration for both North and South Americans, fostering unity. "It's a once in a lifetime celebration."
She also noted the significance of an Indian receiving sainthood.
"Maybe this will give more (of a) name to the Indians because sometimes we think because they're Indian or indigenous they're considered less than some others. Because he's Indian and being named a saint-I think that (means) a lot."
The pope announced during a Feb. 26 Vatican ceremony the canonization of Juan Diego and eight other new saints. On July 29 the pope will proclaim as martyrs two Indians, Juan Bautista and Jacinto de Los Angeles, from the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, and he will canonize Juan Diego July 30 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He will also travel to Guatemala for the July 31 canonization of Blessed Pedro de San Jose de Betancur, the 17th century founder of the Bethlemite brothers and sisters, often referred to as "St. Francis of the Americas" for his work with the poor and sick.
That day a celebration will also take place in the archdiocese for the canonization of Blessed Pedro at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, 1775 Old Haigmill Road, Dalton.
Mary appeared four times in 1531 to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill outside of Mexico City, and instructed him to tell the local bishop of her wish that a church be built there. The bishop complied with the request about two years later after being convinced of the genuineness of the apparition by the evidence of a miraculously painted life-size figure of the Virgin on the mantle of the Indian. The mantle bearing the picture has been preserved and is enshrined in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, constructed on the site of the peasant's visions. The basilica has a long history as a center of devotion and pilgrimage in Mexico. The shrine church was originally dedicated in 1709 and subsequently enlarged. After being named the patroness of New Spain in 1754 by Pope Benedict XIV, Our Lady of Guadalupe was designated patroness of Latin America by St. Pius X in 1910 and patroness of the Americas by Pope Pius XII in 1945. Juan Diego was declared blessed in 1990.
Pilgrims will fly to Mexico City where they will begin by visiting the zocalo (town square), the National Palace with murals by Diego Rivera, the cathedral and the plaza of Santo Domingo, where the Dominicans built their first church. The Church of Santo Domingo houses shrines to Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Covadonga.
A schedule of events on canonization day will be announced. The basilica holds about 8,000 people and another 45,000 can fit in the plaza outside.
During the next two days, the archdiocesan group will return to the basilica and visit the pyramids at Teotihuacan and the Church of the Healing, the site of Mary's fifth apparition to Juan Diego. The group will then travel to Puebla and Tlaxcala where they will visit the grotto of St. Michael the Archangel, the Chapel of the Rosary and the cathedral and convents of Santo Rosa and Santa Monica where Mass will be celebrated.
Cost is $1,499 plus tax, which includes roundtrip airfare from Atlanta, first class hotel in Mexico City's Zona Rosa, private deluxe motor coach, six buffet breakfasts, one lunch, five dinners with wine including a "festive celebration dinner," sightseeing and entrance fees, professional local tour escort and luggage handling. A single room costs an additional $295. A deposit of $265 per person, including a $65 non-refundable travel insurance premium, is required. For registration information call Best Catholic Pilgrimages at (800) 908-2378. For other information call the Hispanic Apostolate at (404) 888-7839.
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