PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The high temperature in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, was 86 degrees on Jan. 21, during the feast of Our Lady of Altagracia (High Grace), the preeminent Marian devotion in the Caribbean nation.
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, it was 16 degrees that same evening when hundreds of Catholics from at least a dozen parishes filled the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights to observe the feast with a special Mass.
The contrast was not lost on the congregants, virtually all of whom had ties to the Dominican Republic. Their joy seemed to negate the freezing temps. After Mass, many lingered on the steps of the co-cathedral to receive blessings from Bishop Robert Brennan or pose for snapshots with him.
“There’s a lot of energy. A lot of love,” Bishop Brennan said of the large turnout. “It’s a great, great feast. It’s really an expression of love for the Blessed Mother.”
Many of the women in the procession were dressed in all white with red, white, and blue sashes over their shoulders. Flags from their homeland were ubiquitous and waved with vigor. The procession included a posting of flags from the United States, the Church, and the Dominican Republic next to the altar.
Three newcomers to the diocese — Sisters Idelma Hernandez, Damiana Anglada, and Yarelin Ventura of the Daughters of Altagracia Sisters from the Dominican Republic — were among the congregants.
They arrived two months ago to assist in religious education and youth programs at Transfiguration Parish in Williamsburg and Mary of Nazareth Parish in Fort Greene.
See Related Article: Transfiguration Welcomes Three New Sisters to Its Community
While the sisters are still learning to speak English, they had no problem confirming that this was the most frigid feast of Our Lady of Altagracia they had ever experienced.
“Very cold!” they cheerfully exclaimed, adding that the thought Mass was beautiful.
The sisters’ community is named for Mary, who is honored as a protector of the nation. Devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia (Our Lady of Altagracia) dates back to the early 16th century when Mary appeared to two teenage girls near present-day Higüey.
The younger girl then had a dream in which the Blessed Mother instructed her to ask her father to bring home an image of Our Lady of Altagracia on his next trip to Santo Domingo.
The father agreed, although no one at the time had heard that title used for the Blessed Mother. He did not find any such image and lamented this shortcoming while staying at an inn on his journey home.
An elderly man staying at the inn overheard the father’s story and unfurled a 13-by-18-inch image of Our Lady of Altagracia. He gave it to the father, whose daughter was delighted to receive it. In the picture, Mary is shown adoring her newborn son in a cradle as her husband, St. Joseph, looks over her shoulder.
The image, however, vanished overnight before mysteriously reappearing in an orange grove. The family brought it back to their home, but it mysteriously wound up in the grove again. Eventually, a basilica was built for the image at that location.
Soon after, devotion to the Holy Mother spread rapidly throughout the Dominican Republic. Several miracles have since been attributed to her intercession.
At the close of Mass, Bishop Brennan commented on how the younger daughter’s faith reminded him of Blessed Carlo Acutis, who will soon be canonized. The Italian teen (1991-2006) was a computer whiz who will become the first Millennial saint on April 27.
“A young girl transformed the society,” Bishop Brennan said to the youth in attendance. “And Carlo Acutis teaches us that the young people can teach us old folks a lot.”
“We have a lot to learn from you and from your devotion, your energy, your love, your fidelity,” he added. “Please keep at it. The Church needs you today. The Church needs you tomorrow. And I need you. So, thank you for your presence.”
The event was the first feast of Our Lady of Altagracia organized by Father Elvin Torres, the new director of the diocese’s Dominican Apostolate. He is also parochial vicar for Corpus Christi Church and St. Sebastian Church in Woodside.
He said future celebrations will be even bigger.
“We are going to work harder to make this feast a diocese of celebration,” Father Torres said.
