by Marietha Góngora V., Special to The Tablet
ELMHURST — The Colombian community of Brooklyn and Queens celebrated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, patron saint of Colombia, at St. Bartholomew Church on July 12.
The church was adorned in yellow, blue, and red, the colors of the Colombian flag, to honor the Blessed Virgin in this devotion proclaimed by Pope Pius VII in 1829.
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Mass was celebrated by Father Luis Laverde, pastor of St. Bartholomew, and concelebrated by parochial vicars Fathers Cesar Peña and Andrew Tsui, as well as Father Ernesto Alonso, parish vicar for the Church of St. Leo the Great in Corona.
Today we pray especially for Colombia, for peace in our country, so that the mantle and crown of the Blessed Virgin may protect all the Colombian people, protect all those who carry the colors yellow, blue, and red in our blood,” Father Laverde, who was born in the department of Antioquia in Colombia, told the nearly 1,000 parishioners in attendance. ”Those who, even though we are far away, feel our hearts beat when we see the image of Our Lady.”
In his homily, Father Laverde spoke of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in Chiquinquirá, a municipality in the Department of Boyacá, Colombia, which gave rise to the devotion shared by millions of Colombians.
“What does the Virgin always ask of us? That we love our neighbor as the Lord has taught us, especially those who suffer, those who need us, as the Gospel tells us,” he said.
He also discussed how the bishops and people of Colombia “beg and implore” protection from Mary and pray for the land that Colombians left, not “because we wanted to, but because we had to.”
“We Colombians do not know what peace is, and unfortunately, those responsible for all this violence are not ordinary people, but precisely those who fight to keep what little or much the country has,” he said. “No one fights for the interests of all; everyone seeks their interests.
“How proud I am to be Colombian!”
Before the end of Mass, Deacon Carlos Trochez, of St. Patrick Church in Long Island City and coordinator of the Committee of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, thanked the parishioners, priests, and deacons for their attendance, as well as the members of the committee for their collaboration in the logistics of this diocesan celebration.
Afterwards, the community gathered to share traditional Colombian food and enjoy cultural and folkloric performances from different regions of Colombia. Father Laverde told The Tablet that he was pleased to see so many faithful attend.
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“It was also an impact for me because, although the community is large, Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá is not well known, and yet people responded to the call,” Father Laverde said.
Javier Mejía, who was born in Colombia and has lived in New York for two decades, said he was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic participation of parishioners from other countries, which has significant meaning for him “because we are a small part of beautiful Colombia on the path of the Lord.”
Colombian Gloria Ardila also responded to the call to celebrate devotion to the country’s patron saint, commenting that “the Mass was very beautiful.”
Deacon Rodrigo Méndez, a member of the Committee of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, said that the hundreds of people who showed up far exceeded their expectations.
“I am proud to be Colombian,” said Deacon Méndez, of St. Leo the Great, “and I am proud to participate in these beautiful events to honor Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, always praying for peace and family unity.”
