BENSONHURST — The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was marked by a personal gift from Pope Francis, a Christmas tree lighting, a newly renovated gift shop, and much more at the only parish in the Diocese of Brooklyn with her namesake.

Msgr. Robert Romano, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Bensonhurst, said that the Dec. 12 celebration always has the biggest turnout of any of the feast day celebrations throughout the year.

“They really show their faith. All you’ve got to say is ‘Guadalupe,’ and they get all excited,” Msgr. Romano said. “They just know how to pull through.”

The feast-day Mass, which draws close to 750 people each year, is celebrated in Spanish, Italian, Polish, and English to represent the growing diverse community within the church. 

To kick off the Guadalupe celebration, runners arrived carrying torches that were first lit and blessed at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph by Bishop Robert Brennan. The runners made their way down 15th Avenue before entering the church, which was decorated floor to ceiling with red and green flyers and balloons.

Angie Jennifer Saucedo, a torch runner for the first time, said she wasn’t expecting it to be so cold and to run so much, but she was proud to have completed the journey. 

“I thought I was going to have to hop in one of the cars, but once you’re in the back, and you see the torch and see the image of the Virgin Mary we had, I offered every ounce of pain that I had and told myself I had to do it — that I had to represent my people and the youth,” Saucedo said.

Another torch runner, Edwin Bailon, said that he used all of his “heart and effort” to complete the run.

“We are here on a mission for Our Lady,” he said. “We also brought a torch, which represents why we follow her and adore Our Lady.

“This is really important to us as Mexicans and to the Hispanic community.”

There was a period of time when Msgr. Romano, who came to the parish in 2008, was worried about the parishioner count, especially youth retention. Three years ago, OLG Academy closed down, which led to the church losing altar servers and fewer children filling the pews.

This celebration was a complete contrast, he said, with children eager to participate in the mariachi band and as altar servers for the Mass. Seeing what he calls a surge in the youth gives him “a shot of adrenaline.”

“They love doing things for the church. They’ll stay here until late at night,” Msgr. Romano said. “They are Eucharistic ministers. They work alongside the religious, they decorate, they do everything.”

Greeting parishioners at the front of the church is a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mother, standing tall with pots of roses and tulips arranged underneath her.

Msgr. Romano said the statue was used for Pope Francis’ 2015 Mass at Madison Square Garden. In front of a congregation of more than 20,000 people, Pope Francis swung his thurible, blessing the statue with incense. A picture of the statue on stage with the pontiff stands proudly on display beside it. 

“Our statue that was blessed by the pope… it’s beautiful, it’s got history, and there is just something special about it,” Msgr. Romano said. 

Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros, who presided over Mass, said celebrations like these have a unifying presence. 

“There are Guatemalans, Mexicans, Ecuadorians, and Italians, and the celebration brings everybody together,” he said. “If you go and talk to the folks in the pews, you’ll find out all the nationalities coming together.”

Bishop Cisneros added that the dedication the church has to Our Lady of Guadalupe is what brings him back each year. Despite presiding over Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph hours prior, he said he chose to come to the celebration because it is named in her honor.

Msgr. Romano said he adores the parish so much that he hopes to stay even after retirement and wants to celebrate with the people who care for him.

“It’s been a delight for the almost 17 years I have been here,” Msgr. Romano said. “I didn’t know Spanish ministry that well, but I came to know very wonderful people. 

“I see a resurgence of faith, a resurgence of being involved, and of young people.”