Notre Dame celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe yesterday. On that crisp fall morning the entire learning community of students, faculty and staff made the annual pilgrimage to our downtown place of worship, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph. The mass, presided over by Monsignor Francis Cilia, told the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who became the bearer of hope when she boldly answers God's invitation to bring the Christ child into the world. In Mexico, this expectant mother is most affectionately known in the apparition of our Lady of Guadalupe (La Virgin de Guadalupe) in the sixteenth century. The story of the apparition is a beautiful one: Mary, who is pregnant, appears to Juan Diego, an indiginous peasant who carries Our Lady's message of hope to the Aztec and Mexican community to which he belongs. Since then, Our Lady of Guadalupe has been recognized as the patroness of the Americas.

Organized by campus ministry and Latinas Unidas, the service featured folklorico dancers, mariachis and Notre Dame's traditional liturgical dancers. 

The liturgy also included the “Put a Dollar in Your Pocket” campaign. This year, TASC Service has chosen to help Camp Fire victims. 

The mass was a beautiful moment of prayer and liturgy, marked by music, dance and a shared moment of community joy and hope.