About 300 Catholics from the Los Angeles area joined Archbishop José Gomez Saturday for a special Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City during the sixth annual Archdiocesan pilgrimage to the Basilica, one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world.
“Many of our brothers and sisters, our friends and family, neighbors and fellow parishioners, are burdened with fear and anxiety caused by the new immigration enforcement efforts in our country,” Gomez said during the homily.
“Today we lay all our cares at the feet of our lady. And if we open our hearts today, if we fix our eyes on our lady’s, we will hear her tender words to St. Juan Diego: `Am I not your mother? Are you not under my shadow and my gaze? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not sheltered underneath my mantle, under the embrace of my arms?”’ he added.
Before the Mass, the pilgrims gathered on the plaza of the Basilica carrying red roses and hundreds of petitions and prayer intentions that were collected at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, all 11 local Catholic cemeteries and mortuaries, and online.
Fourteen priests concelebrated the Mass, which led pilgrims from several parish communities including Blessed Sacrament in West Hollywood, Presentation of Mary in Los Angeles, St. Bernard in Bellflower, St. John of God in Norwalk, St. Junipero Serra in Lancaster, St. Mary of the Assumption in Whittier, and St. Rosa of Lima in Maywood.
The group also included a delegation of 25 pilgrims from Church of Saint Agnes in New York City.
The Basilica houses the original cloak of St. Juan Diego, which the faithful believe holds the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that appeared in 1531. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is home to the only known relic of the cloak presented by the Archbishop of Mexico City in appreciation and friendship after Los Angeles Archbishop John Cantwell led an important pilgrimage to the Basilica in 1941.
Video of the Mass is available at lacatholics.org/pilgrimage.