For Her Devotees, ‘La Virgen’ Offers Hope

new american mediaBy Daniel Jimenez, South Kern Sol/New America Media

For many Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, devotion to La Virgen de Guadalupe is more than a religious belief – it is part of a shared cultural heritage, and embedded within the Mexican national identity. From the times of indigenous resistance during Spanish colonial rule, to the Cesar Chavez-led farm worker demonstrations of the 60s and 70s, to the indigenous Zapatista movement in Chiapas in the 90s, to the immigrant rights marches of today, La Virgen has been a continuous symbol of culture, faith, and hope.

The day of La Virgen de Guadalupe (December 12th is the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe) became a national holiday in Mexico in the year of 1859. It is said that on December 9, 1531, Juan Diego received a miraculous visit from La Virgen, where she told him to tell church leaders to build a temple for her on the hilltop. When Juan Diego told church leaders what had happened they did not believe him. La Virgen appeared for a fourth and last time to Juan Diego on December 12th, and asked him to collect flowers for her at the hilltop and take them to the church leaders as a sign. Flowers did not grow in December, but Juan Diego found some beautiful flowers at the top of the hill. When he arrived at the place where the church leaders were, he unfolded his coat full of flowers, and an image of La Virgen de Guadalupe appeared, perfectly printed on his cloak. The church leaders finally believed Juan Diego and a small church was built at the hilltop in Mexico City, where The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe stands now.

Since then, people come together to commemorate and pay tribute to “La Morenita” (an indigenous manifestation of Christ’s mother, also sometimes associated with Tonantzin, the Aztec deity representing Mother Earth). Every year, many Catholic churches have midnight masses where parishioners come together to sing Las Mañanitas (a Latin American birthday song) to La Virgen de Guadalupe.

Youth reporters from South Kern Sol, a community media project based in Bakersfield, California, attended the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Pilgrimage and Vigil at St. Mary’s Parish in nearby Taft, to ask residents of this agricultural region: “What are you praying for this year?”

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“This year, I am asking the Virgen de Guadalupe for world peace, and for an amnesty, so that people can be here legally.”
— Jose Luis Uribe

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“My petition for Our Lady is to end worldwide violence and establish peace in the world.”
— Ana Uribe (left)

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“My mother is going to have surgery, and I would like Our Lady to help my mother so everything goes well.”
— Marco Lopez

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“I would like to ask La Virgen de Guadalupe to protect my children, my mother, to help our friends who are struggling. To unite everyone else living in this country. I would like to ask her to help pass immigration reform.”
— Guillermina Huizar

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“I would simply ask Our Lady of Guadalupe to pray for my family, for health for next year, and for many more years to come for me and for my family.”
— Ruben Arreola

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“I know that there is a lot of need in this world. It would be very selfish for me to ask her for something I don’t need. I am in good health. I have a family, so regularly I do not ask for anything. My saints are very busy.”
— Juan Pablo Alvarez

This article was originally published in New America Media.

South Kern Sol is a youth-led community media project founded by New America Media to serve the communities of south Kern County in California’s central valley.

[Photo courtesy of South Kern Sol]

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