Humble Mission Finds Comfort Through Mary

By PRISCILLA GREEAR. Staff Writer

Published: December 18, 2003

DULUTH—Mexicans and other Latinos packed into St. Benedict’s Church mission, located on Buford Highway in a strip mall between a convenience store and a chiropractor’s office, the evening of Dec. 11 to seek refuge in community and joyfully celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, “the Mother of Mexico.”

Among those attending was Mexican Celso Redondo, who has found support from the Virgin as he has traveled every five months over the past three years back and forth between Atlanta and his home in Cuernavaca, earning money here in an electronics factory to send back to his wife and children Diego and Maria. The Virgin has helped him through his marital problems and deep depression, he said as he pulled out of his wallet a worn card from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City with Mary’s image on the front and “El Magnífico” on the back. So it was “very, very important” for him to miss work and gather with others in his parish community for the feast day, for which people in Mexico close businesses and celebrate all day.

“The Blessed Mother is always there for me because I’m alone. I feel lonely. I pray the rosary and I feel better. I have problems with the family (and) I talk with the Blessed Mother. My wife is asking for a divorce. I leave everything in the hands of the Blessed Mother, the Mother of God. Through her I ask God. She intercedes (and) listens to me.”

The Mass honoring the Virgin was celebrated by Father Guillermo Cordoba, parochial vicar at St. Benedict Church. He founded the mission in 2001, even though St. Benedict’s already has a Hispanic ministry and it is outside the parish boundaries, after he saw an unmet need for area Hispanics who lack transportation. Sister Marta Herrera, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Refuge, founded in 1897 in Jalisco, Mexico, has served Hispanics in the archdiocese for nearly 15 years and is also a ministry leader at the mission.

To begin the celebration, people, including a few dressed as Indian peasants with men in straw hats and girls with braids, shawls, ruffled shirts and long full skirts, gathered to pray the rosary before the altar, which was strewn with roses ranging in color from peach to yellow, and which had images of Mary placed there by parishioners.

They sang songs that reflected how deeply ingrained Mary is in Mexico’s religious as well as cultural identity. From “A Ti Virgencita” they sang, “Mexico is your land, and you its banner,” as a mariachi band played.

As the Spanish settlers with Christian faith and love of Mary came to Mexico and defeated the Aztec Empire in 1521, Indians developed a devotion to Mary and less than 20 years later nine million of the inhabitants of the land were converted to Christianity. They developed that devotion after Mary appeared as a brown-skinned Aztec princess to a simple Indian, St. Juan Diego, in 1531 on Tepeyac Hill outside Mexico City. He relayed her message to the local bishop to build a temple in her honor on the spot of the apparitions. Following Mary’s instructions, Juan Diego carried in his tilma, made of poor quality cactus cloth, roses from Tepeyac Hill and the image of Mary mysteriously appeared on the cloth, which convinced the bishop of the apparitions.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City was dedicated in 1709. It holds the mantle that has Our Lady’s image on it and shows no signs of decay. The basilica has become the most popular religious pilgrimage site in the Western Hemisphere, and Tepeyac Hill, on which the original church stands, is a grassy oasis amidst the concrete of Mexico City. The tilma image has survived various environmental hazards including flooding, fire and a basilica bombing in 1921. Examined in 1977 by infrared photography and digital enhancement techniques, it shows no signs of sketching or outline used to produce a painting and its method of production remains unknown.

To open the Mass, members of the parish re-enacted the apparition story, with Blanca Lopez wearing a shiny pink dress and green cloak with gold stars portraying Mary and Ricardo Olmos depicting Juan Diego.

Father Cordoba, in white vestments with an image of Mary, affirmed the dignity of the immigrant congregation and told them that just as Juan Diego went out and proclaimed the apparition, they are called as her messengers to spread the Gospel.

“The invitation of Maria is to not be afraid to proclaim Christ,” he said. “Each one of us has been sent to make known the light of the cross.”

And just as Mary brought the light of God’s truth to Indians as they endured hardship, she too brings the message of Christ’s peace and light to Hispanic immigrants in this country, as they struggle to establish themselves here and are often denied access. “Maria is always going to accompany us.”

Following a Mexican tradition, he then called the children forward and held up a baby girl whom he presented to God and asked for the protection of the Virgin for all the little ones through that infant. One young girl, dressed as an Indian peasant, told Mary how she had nothing to offer her as she lost her flowers and her harvest was scant this year. Then she realized she could offer herself.

The next day Father Cordoba, who was running on four and a half hours of sleep after rising again for a 6:30 a.m. Mass, said he hopes all Anglo congregations will open their doors to the Hispanics among them.

“Seeing the faith and the expression of love that the Hispanic community has towards our Blessed Mother and Jesus, they transmit to us the message of love, dignity and unity to embrace the Christian community. Therefore, I want to extend an invitation to all pastors not to be afraid to open the doors to our brothers and sisters that come to this country wishing to share their faith and rich culture with the community throughout the archdiocese.”

As the Catholic Church is built on immigrants, he encouraged them to remember the most vulnerable in their shadows. “The only way to proclaim the Gospel in the United States is to start with the Gospel of justice and service to those most in need.”

The storefront mission, which mainly has members from Mexico, but also from Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Colombia, offers three weekend Masses, religious education for 85 children, a youth group and sacramental preparation, as well as computer and English classes and referrals for legal aid. He said it is now looking for a larger facility as “the urgent thing we need is space,” and that they also need financial benefactors and transportation for members to go to St. Benedict’s for larger events.

Mission volunteer Blanca Morales agreed that the congregation needs more space, although at least it has a place. Before “people were going to other (non-Catholic) churches even though they’re Catholic until (Father Cordoba) started doing services. ”

She helps Father Cordoba with the liturgy and appreciates the “humbleness” of the congregation, which has “100 percent Mexican culture.”

“It’s different, totally different when you go to a big church with upper middle class people. It’s not about what you wear here, how much money you put in the offering. It’s about faith and sharing and helping each other.”

She was glad to share in their devotion to the Blessed Mother, as “I pray for Mary to protect my son from evil.”

Juan Carlos Cruz, who came with his parents here from Mexico as a child, commented on how Mexicans “look up to” Mary and always ask for her intercession, like he just recently did for a test at Gwinnett Tech.

“We’ve always been taught to love Jesus, but Mary has always been a little bit closer to us because she appeared in Mexico,” said Cruz, a member of the young adult group at St. Benedict’s. From the Mass “I came out with a more positive attitude towards things, towards my life, my school, going back to Mexico. The Virgin Mary reminds me of my country.”

Especially in only living part time in this country, Redondo is grateful to have found a community at the mission. It has supported him as he has saved enough for family members to buy a home and rent an apartment back home, money hard to come by in his home state where he can only earn about $60 a week. He always attends services here when he is in Atlanta and has received helpful spiritual guidance from Father Cordoba.

“It’s very important, not only when I have problems (but) it’s always very important. I feel positive energy in this place,” he said. “It’s beautiful. It’s a blessing to be here.”