Local Catholic Churches and parishioners will gather all over the Roaring Fork Valley and Garfield County Wednesday for the traditional Latin American celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The event celebrates the apparitions of the Virgin Mary atop the Hill of Tepeyac outside of what is now known as Mexico City nearly 500 years ago.
“It represents the indigenous people, when ‘Our lady of Guadalupe’ appeared to Juan Diego with a message,” said Roxana Barraza, administrative assistant with the St. Stephen parish in Glenwood Springs. “It’s what brought Catholicism to the indigenous people.”
Catholic accounts of the event say in 1531 the Virgin Mary appeared before Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican, on his way to Mass.
Mary gave Diego a message to build a church to honor her native religion, according to the tradition. After many attempts to pass the message to the village’s Catholic Bishop, and several more apparitions, Diego succeeded and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was built.
“Within 20 years after the apparitions of Mary, more then 9 million indigenes people converted to the Catholic faith,” St. Stephen’s pastor, Father Bert Chilson, said.
“‘Our lady of Guadalupe’ is what we call the patroness of all the Americas – North, Central, and South America.”
On Wednesday, St. Stephen’s in Glenwood, St. Mary of the Crown in Carbondale, St. Mary in Rifle and St. Vincent in Basalt will honor Our Lady of Guadalupe with a day full of faith and celebrations.
“The Hispanic Catholic community has had a significant presence here (Roaring Fork Valley) for well over 20 years,” Father Chilson added. “We invite anybody to come, it’s a wonderful expression of faith and belief.”
The festivities will begin early at each church. Glenwood, Carbondale and Rifle will all celebrate an early morning Mass.
The day will continue with mañanitas/singing and matachines/dances along with traditional refreshments and food.
Prayer will continue throughout the day, with Rosary and processions in Glenwood, Carbondale and Rifle.
“The whole day is going to be a celebration to ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’,” Rifle St. Mary Catholic Church pastor, Father Gerardo Garcia, said.
St. Mary’s procession will start at 4 p.m. at the intersection of White River Avenue and 15th Street, making the long journey to the church on Birch Avenue for evening Mass.
“We will be walking and praying and manifesting our faith in public,” Garcia added.
For more information on Wednesday’s events, contact your local Catholic Church.
“The Latino community has a tremendous devotion to her, and on this day we have an all-day celebration,” Chilson said. “Everyone is welcome to come from the community, Catholic or otherwise.”
https://www.postindependent.com/news/garfield-county-catholic-congregations-celebrate-our-lady-of-guadalupe/