“We are upholding the traditions that our parents showed us; they taught us the tradition of our faith, of our dance, of our culture,” Andon, 47, one of the dance coordinators for the gathering, told The Good Newsroom as his fellow dancers waited nearby on the Fifth Avenue sidewalk.
“We try to keep it alive here in New York – the sons and daughters of Mexicans, and now our kids. We also have kids in our (dance) group. This is to maintain the faith, to maintain the culture; to keep it all alive.” He noted that his strong faith helped him cope emotionally when his father, Margarito, died in 2018.
Andon, who grew up the oldest of seven children, is a parishioner of All Saints parish in Brooklyn. The married father of three is Manhattan-born, of Mexican descent. He works as a cleaning supervisor.
Also outside the cathedral before the Mass was Ingrid Gachupin, 19, who was among the Mariachi violinists. She told The Good Newsroom that it was an honor for her to take part in the special Mass.
“Our faith is important because it leads us to make the right decisions; it will always be there for us no matter what,” said Gachupin, who grew up the youngest of three children. She works as an office assistant and is a parishioner of St. Gabriel in Queens; she is also Manhattan-born, of Mexican ancestry.
In his homily, Father Javier del Castillo, U.S. Vicar of the Prelature of Opus Dei, reminded the faithful of the significance of trusting in God, seeking intercession from Mary, and remembering that she guides the faithful to her son, Jesus.
“As we read in the Gospel today (Luke 1:26-38), nothing is impossible for God…The Lord promises us eternal life. We have the sacraments, we have prayer, and we have the grace of God,” Father del Castillo said. He noted that these and other gifts from the faith guide us through tribulations in life, such as financial troubles, personal challenges, and immigration status worries.
Father del Castillo went on to talk about the significance of the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego, a story of trust and hope, conversion, and spiritual fortitude.
He also spoke of the meaning of the multi-state pilgrimage by the special images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego, images that were enthroned by Cardinal Dolan at the start of Mass, and were presented last year as a gift to the Archdiocese of New York by Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Mexico.
Maria Rodriguez, 21, a parishioner of St. Anthony parish on Commonwealth Avenue in the Bronx, was in the cathedral’s middle pews with a fellow parish member, Minerva Diaz, 64. Both told The Good Newsroom that they were grateful for the Mass and the homily messages.
“I really loved it; it was my first time coming here. It was an amazing experience,” said Rodriguez, Bronx-born of Mexican parents, adding that she plans to attend next year’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass at St. Patrick’s.
Diaz noted that she prayed for Our Lady of Guadalupe’s intercession when her husband developed a serious illness. “My husband was supposed to last five years; he lasted 19 years,” said Diaz. “My faith is very strong. I pray to the Lord and to Our Lady all the time.”