Sacred Heart Catholic Church celebrates annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration

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Two girls dancing. Both are wearing feathered hats and traditional Aztec clothing. — At the start of the celebration, an Aztec dance honors the holiday’s Indigenous roots. (Sandra Hernandez/HHJ)

WARNER ROBINS – Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Warner Robins held its annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration on Friday, Dec. 12, to honor her story.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, also called the Virgin Mary, is an important religious figure in Mexico. Each year, the church begins the celebration with a traditional Aztec dance and Chinelos dancers from Morelos, a state in central Mexico. After that, there is a mass and a retelling of her story. The celebration continues through the weekend with more dances and a feast at the church.

Performers dressed in colorful clothing. Their faces are covered with masks and they wearing large hats. — Other performances included a traditional dance from Morelos, a state located in central Mexico. (Sandra Hernandez/HHJ)

Melisa Baquedano, the Hispanic Ministry Coordinator, said this is an important celebration, especially in Mexico.

The celebration takes place on a specific day because people believe Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego, a member of the Aztec tribe, in 1531. In the story, she asks him to tell the bishop to build a church in her honor. Today, that church is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

Baquedano explained that many people pray to her and believe she can perform miracles.

“There’s a lot of people that have a lot of devotion [to] her…whenever they have something going on in their lives, they will pray to her for whatever they need in the family,” she said.

She described the event as a church tradition. Baquedano said it has changed over the years, and more people have started attending since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s like starting all over for the last [few] years but it’s interesting to see how the community – even if you’re not in the church or attend church every Sunday – come together at least once a year and be together with the same belief,” she said.

A shrine with red flowers and paintings of Our Lady of Guadalupe. — Attendees dropped off religious images to be blessed during the service. (Sandra Hernandez/HHJ)

When Baquedano first got involved with the church in 2016, she learned a lot about Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is originally from Honduras, where people honor their own version of the Virgin Mary, called Our Lady of Suyapa. She said there is also a big celebration in Honduras, similar to the one for Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“There will be dancers and stuff like that but over here to see that tradition from Mexico it made me [research] what was the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe because I didn’t really know it,” she said.

During the event, a play retelling the story was performed. Baquedano conducted extensive research to ensure it was accurate. She said helping organize the event taught her a lot and gave her a chance to learn about a different version of the Virgin Mary.

“It was so amazing to see how people really believe…to me it’s something new. It’s just awesome to see how they believe,” she said.