Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Symbol of Faith, Unity, and Hope

Our Lady of Guadalupe holds a unique and beloved place in the hearts of millions, particularly in Latin America. Her appearance to Saint Juan Diego in 1531 near Mexico City marked a profound moment of faith and cultural transformation, symbolizing divine compassion and a call to unity.

In December 1531, a humble indigenous man named Juan Diego encountered a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the hill of Tepeyac, near present-day Mexico City. She appeared to him with dark skin and features resembling those of the native population, speaking to him in Nahuatl, his native language.

Mary identified herself as the Mother of the True God and asked Juan Diego to request that the local bishop build a church in her honor on the site. The bishop, skeptical of Juan’s story, asked for a sign to prove the authenticity of the apparition.

On December 12th, Mary appeared to Juan Diego again and directed him to gather Castilian roses blooming miraculously on the hillside—a place where flowers were not known to grow in winter. Juan carried the roses in his tilma(cloak) to the bishop. When he opened the cloak, the flowers fell to the floor, revealing a miraculous image of Our Ladyimprinted on the fabric. The bishop, deeply moved, recognized this as a divine sign and ordered the construction of the church.

In an age of division and social challenges, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s message of hope and unity remains profoundly relevant. She reminds us of God’s presence in our lives and calls us to care for the marginalized, protect life, and build a world of justice and peace.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

The Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary outlines the locations where indulgences can be obtained, including places in Rome, the heart of Christianity, shrines in the Holy Land, notable international shrines, episcopal cathedrals in all dioceses, and churches designated for Jubilee celebrations by bishops. This ensures that no one is excluded from experiencing the grace of the Jubilee.

According to the decree, all truly repentant individuals can obtain a plenary indulgence for themselves or for the departed. This applies to those who receive the sacraments, pray for the intentions of the Pope, go on a pilgrimage or visit holy places, and engage in works of mercy and penance.

The Guidelines from the Apostolic Penitentiary state that to receive a plenary indulgence, one must be in a state of grace. One can achieve this through participation in the Holy Mass, the celebration of the Word, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Way of the Cross, reciting the Akathistos hymn, or participating in a penitential celebration that concludes with individual confession.

Additionally, those unable to participate in pilgrimages or travels for valid reasons, such as the elderly, sick, cloistered nuns, or prisoners, can also receive a plenary indulgence. They can do this by reciting the "Our Father," making a profession of faith, and offering their sufferings for the salvation of the world.

The decree emphasizes that to obtain a plenary indulgence, individuals should engage in acts of mercy and penance, refrain from trivial entertainments and distractions, give alms to the poor, and support religious and social activities dedicated to the defense of life.

A Gift for Souls

As we approach the November celebrations, let us focus on a positive and supernatural perspective. We should remember our loved ones not only by adorning their graves with chrysanthemums and lighting candles. The best gift we can offer them is our prayers and the practice of remembrance, particularly through the gift of indulgence.

During the first eight days of November, the Church provides a valuable opportunity to assist souls in purgatory with indulgences. The most significant gift for their salvation can be attained by visiting graves or cemeteries and fulfilling the usual conditions for obtaining a plenary indulgence, which include being in a state of grace, having no attachment to sin, receiving Holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Moreover, individuals who cannot physically visit a cemetery or church due to illness or disability can still gain this indulgence. The sick can engage in a spiritual pilgrimage to the cemetery. To receive a plenary indulgence for the deceased, they should cultivate this intention within themselves and participate spiritually in visiting the cemetery. They can also spiritually receive Holy Communion if they are unable to do so in person.

God, in His mercy, looks at the heart of each person and understands every human limitation. 

May this year’s All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day serve as a reminder, amidst November's reflections on the often somber realities of this world, that "we do not have a permanent city here, but are striving for the future" (Hebrews 13:14). Let these celebrations inspire us to worship the good God, who is always "marvelous in His saints" (cf. Lumen Gentium 50), and invites us to follow in their footsteps, striving to be "holy and blameless in His sight."

St. Charles Borromeo was born on October 3, 1538, in the castle of Arona, Italy, as the nephew of Pope Pius IV. He was a talented student who diligently pursued his studies, ultimately earning two doctorates in civil and ecclesiastical law. In 1560, he became a cardinal and took on the role of administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan, as well as serving as the protector of Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and various religious orders. Despite the considerable possessions and funds associated with these titles, he remained a zealous servant of God. 

Charles gained fame as a teacher for bishops and an excellent advisor and diplomat, playing a significant role in concluding the Council of Trent (1545–1563), which was vital for the unity of Catholics. He was ordained as a priest in 1563 and consecrated as the bishop and metropolitan of Milan in 1564.

His leadership style was decisive yet gentle; he was demanding but also just, effectively implementing the reforms established by the council. On September 26, 1569, he survived an assassination attempt that left him wounded. He advocated for the establishment of seminaries and the writing of a catechism for the Church. 

St. Charles Borromeo showed a deep commitment to caring for the poor and the sick, founding and constructing hospitals, shelters for the disabled, the elderly, and orphans, as well as schools. During the plague epidemic in 1576–1577, he opened granaries, tended to the sick, distributed the Eucharist (last communion), and led penitential processions barefoot, carrying a cross and wearing a penitential rope around his neck.

He passed away on November 3, 1584, and was canonized on November 1, 1610, by Pope Paul V. His liturgical memorial is celebrated on November 4.

All Saints' Day, celebrated on November 1st, and All Souls' Day on November 2nd, are special holidays with deep roots in Catholic tradition and the cultures of many countries. These two days are a special time for remembering the deceased, reflecting on life, and reminding us of the spiritual communion with those who have passed away.

All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day is a feast in honour of all known and unknown saints. It is a day when the Catholic Church venerates those who have already achieved eternal happiness in heaven. This feast was already celebrated in the 4th century but was officially established on November 1st by Pope Gregory III in the 8th century.

This day has a joyful aspect because it highlights the triumph of life over death and the saints as role models for the faithful. They remind us of the pursuit of holiness and living in accordance with the teachings of the Gospel. Churches hold solemn masses, and in many places, the faithful pay homage to the relics of saints.

All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day, also known as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is observed the day after All Saints' Day. It is a time for prayer for the souls of the deceased who, it is believed, are in purgatory, awaiting full union with God.

The tradition of All Souls' Day was initiated by the Benedictines and was spread in the 11th century by St. Odilo, the abbot of Cluny. The Church encourages prayer, offering Masses, and performing acts of charity for the deceased on this day.

Significance and Contemporary Observance

Today, these holidays are still very important, the tradition of visiting cemeteries, lighting candles, and decorating graves has become deeply ingrained in the culture. It is a period when families gather to collectively pay respects to their departed loved ones. In many countries, cemeteries during these days look impressive, illuminated by thousands of candles, symbolizing remembrance of the dead and the hope of eternal life.

The significance of these days in contemporary culture also relates to care for identity and heritage. They provide an opportunity for reflection on the value of life, as well as for renewing family and social relationships. They remind us of the transience and fragility of human life, encouraging us to cultivate bonds with the past and make use of the wisdom passed down by previous generations.

Although they are religious holidays, they are also observed by non-believers as a show of respect for family history and the memory of ancestors. All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day have become a time of universal reflection on the inevitability of death and its place in our lives, as well as a reminder of the need to care for relationships while alive.

In summary, these days are not only a part of religious tradition but, above all, an opportunity to pause in our daily lives, reflect, and express respect for those who have left us. Like any rite of passage, they play an important role in the processes of acceptance and mourning, uniting people in shared memory and reflection.

Fr. Marius

Our Lady of Fatima urged, "I want you to pray the Rosary every day for peace in the world, the conversion of sinners, and an end to wars." Let's make an effort to obey Mary's call and pray the Rosary daily. In our parish, the Rosary is prayed every day after the Holy Mass, and on Sundays, it is prayed before the Mass.

 The Rosary prayer is a prayer that unites everyone, as everyone can find something for themselves in it. A mystic may devote themselves to meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, a contemplative may imagine Gospel scenes, and an activist may pray the Rosary quickly, ten by ten. The prayer is simple and suitable for the poor and the rich, for children, adults, and the elderly. We all learned it as children, and in adult life, we may reach for the rosary in difficult moments, problems, troubles, and doubts. Soren Kierkegaard said: "A man without faith stumbles over a blade of straw, with faith he moves mountains." This also applies to the rosary prayer – those who use it speak about miracles, strengthened faith, and achieving the impossible.

 The origins of the Rosary prayer date back to the times of the Desert Fathers in the third and fourth centuries. They used strings to count repeated prayers. The word rosary is not only associated with the prayer itself but also with the characteristic chaplet (prayer rope) used to count the number of repeated parts of the prayer. The spread of the Rosary prayer is attributed to the Dominican Blessed Alain de la Roche (†1475), who initiated the Church's tradition according to which the Blessed Virgin inspired St. Dominic Guzman to pray the Rosary for the conversion of heretical Albigensians and sinners.

The Rosary prayer, which consists of the repeated 'Hail Mary', is a call to Mary, the Mother of God, asking for support. A humorous analogy on Facebook compares the rosary prayer to little Jesus pulling Mary's robe, shouting: "Mom, mom, mom..." In a similar way, we call to Our Lady for help as we move the beads of the rosary. Although God is the one who works miracles, Mary intercedes for us and asks with us, as if she were crying out to God on our behalf. Mary cares for us when we feel bad, like a real mother. Each of us carries a different image of a mother in our hearts based on our experiences, but Mary surpasses even our imaginations. St. John Paul II often spoke about the intercession and role of Mary, entrusting his life and pontificate to her.

The 16th century in Europe's history was when its inhabitants once again faced the threat of Muslim armies. This time the aggressor is Turkey, which has just reached the peak of its power and is looking more and more greedily at the countries in the northern part of the Mediterranean. The growing threat from it reached its climax in the early 1670s, when Pius V, a Dominican, was pope.

Faced with the risk that the State of the Church would turn into a province of the Ottoman Empire, the pope took political action: he established the Holy League, began to collect troops and money for their maintenance, and thought about strategy. However, he did not neglect the spiritual side and reached for a measure proven by hundreds of years of practice in his order – he addressed the whole Church with a call to pray the rosary in the intention of the victory of Christians.

The day of the decisive battle fell on October 7, 1571, the first Sunday of the month – the day that the Dominicans celebrated as the remembrance of Mary, Queen of the Rosary. At Lepanto in the Gulf of Corinth, two powerful naval armies faced each other, and the Pope and the faithful fell to their knees with rosaries in their hands.

During the prayer, Pius V had a vision in which he saw the bay where the battle was taking place, and above it Mary looking calmly at the struggle. Our Lady assured the Pope of victory. And indeed – no sooner had the battle begun than the wind unfavourable to the armies of the Holy League died down. The outnumbered Turkish ships were scattered, only a small number of them managed to escape. The blow was so strong that the Turkish fleet never regained its glory.

To commemorate this event, Pius V established the remembrance of Our Lady of Victory on October 7, and two years later Pope Gregory XIII designated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on the first Sunday of October. This concerned only the territories of the State of the Church, until in the eighteenth century, Clement XI, in gratitude for the defeat of the Truks near Belgrade, extended this feast to the entire Church. In the twentieth century, as part of the liturgical reform, Pius X moved the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary to October 7.

A few dozen years earlier, in 1883, Leo XIII ordered the invocation 'Queen of the Rosary' to be inscribed in the Litany of Loreto. He also, two years later, ordered that the Rosary be prayed every day throughout October. And so the Dominican way of defeating the enemy became a tactic known throughout the Church. Known and highly valued.