Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe an illuminating celebration for Hispanic community with music, food and Mass
- Ellie Ruel
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Juneau Hispanic Ministry-coordinated event features performances by Mariachi Agave Azul
By Ellie Ruel
Juneau Independent
More than 100 people attended the Juneau Hispanic Ministry’s reenactment play and Mass celebrating the Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day at St. Paul’s Catholic Church on Sunday.
The feast day, usually held on Dec. 12, is a widely observed Catholic holiday commemorating Mexican peasant Juan Diego meeting the apparition of the Virgin Mary, the country’s patron saint. The apparition is said to have told Diego to build a church on Tepeyac Hill, helping him produce out-of-season roses and an emblazoned cape to convince the skeptical local bishop.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, usually depicted with sun rays, shows up widely in Mexican religious imagery and symbolism. A painted backdrop and a string of red lights behind Naomi Martinez, playing the role of Lady of Guadalupe, punctuated the effect during the reenactment play. Assistants in the wings helped Benjamin Flores, playing the lead role of Juan Diego, with other props like roses and an emblazoned cape as he ran around the altar on his spiritual trek through the desert.
The entire production involving eight performers, as well as the hour-and-a-half Mass with music performed by Mariachi Agave Azul before it, was in Spanish. Delores Cervantes, a coordinator with the Juneau Hispanic Ministry, said the play is a way to pass culture and faith on to the next generation.
“For us this is a treasure, because it’s our culture. To respect our mother, not only that, but to get together and feel our community,” she said. “For me the most important thing is to bring the community together and also celebrate, invite everybody to come as a family, with their kids, so their kids will learn from the history.”
Her son, Adriel, played a friar this year. It’s the fourth year the Hispanic Ministry has coordinated the event and the second year he’s done the play.
“It’s mainly just being part of the community, having fun,” he said.
After the performance, a blanket printed with an image of the Virgin Mary led a candlelight procession to the adjacent parish hall for the feast. A spread of tamales, pozole, beans and rice was provided by Mar y Sol restaurant, and the long tables lit up with lively conversation.
Gloria Orozco, who's lived in Juneau for 30 years, said the event reminded her of growing up in Mexico.
“I grew up with this tradition. My mom, she always had in the corner a Lady of Guadalupe and she blessed it every single morning, so it reminds me of my mom. And now here in Alaska, I’m like ‘wow.’”
• Contact Ellie Ruel at ellie.ruel@juneauindependent.com.
