Finding Hope and Trust in Our Lady of Guadalupe

It was a whole day dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe: Many parishes already honored La Virgin in the morning, schools enacted the story of San Juan Diego’s encounters with Mary, and in the evening, it culminated in a diocesan event in Corpus Christi.
At 5:30 pm, around 200 people gathered at Sacred Heart Church for a rosary procession led by Bishop Mulvey. Passing by the Nueces County Jail, the inmates greeted the faithful from their windows.

Upon arriving at the Cathedral, accompanied by the traditional song of the Guadalupana, the Bishop offered a bouquet of roses to Our Lady. A group of Matachines from Alice paid their tribute to the Virgin, performing the traditional dance in their beautiful costumes.

In his homily, Bishop Mulvey recited a verse of the famous song “The Rose,” originally written by Amanda McBroom, which became famous in the late 1970s through a recording by Bette Midler: “Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows lies the seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose.”

“We always want to be in control,” the bishop continued. In times of sorrow or loneliness, when it seems that we have lost control, we might feel like it is winter when no roses can be seen.
He remembered that it was exactly 14 years ago when he was in Austin and preparing for the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe when he received a phone call and was asked to leave Austin and become the Bishop of Corpus Christi. Facing the unknown and leaving everything behind, he remembered someone telling him, “Put your faith and your hope in God’s hands.” And Our Lady of Guadalupe would say, “Trust me.” “She is there when there are situations out of our control, “She tells us, ‘Let me show you God’s mercy.’” She shows us that there is a rose under the snow.

With all the challenges in the world and the Church, he would answer, “Yes, I do have hope. There is hope in whatever situation we are in.” Our Lady wants to take all our problems and sorrows onto herself.

At the end of the festive Mass, Myrna Rodriguez, the president of the Diocesan Federation of Our Lady of Guadalupe Societies, presented to the Bishop 16 members who would consecrate themselves to Mary and receive a medal in recognition of this step. The bishop blessed the medals and handed them out to each new member. He reminded them that someone had asked Jesus once why he wanted to remain on Earth in the Eucharist and did not invent a way to leave Mary. “He seemed to reply, ‘I have not left her because I want to see her again in you.’ We all should aim to be Mary's presence on Earth,” said Bishop Mulvey.

A dinner followed the Mass in t. Joseph’s Hall with more music and a big group of Matachines.