My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This past week, we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. It gives me an opportunity to comment on the Mexican presence here in the United States. As you know, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego almost 500 years ago in what is now Mexico City.

Juan Diego was a newly-baptized Indian who was very fervent, but was unschooled in the faith. Our Lady appeared to him several times on a hill called Tepeyac and requested that he tell the priest to build a shrine to her there. However, when he went to the Bishop, he did not believe him and the Bishop requested a sign. Juan Diego, in turn, asked our Blessed Mother for a convincing sign for the incredulous Bishop. He returned, and in his tilma, or cloak, there was a great abundance of roses that fell to the ground revealing the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image itself, now almost 500 years old, is venerated at her shrine in Mexico City. When Pope Francis visited Mexico this past February, he celebrated Mass at the Basilica and then spent over 30 minutes mediating alone seated before the image at a distance of only a few feet.

After careful examination, there is no human explanation of how the rough garment of sisal could have survived the ravages of time and devotion with this image that somehow is embedded in the fabric itself. There is no evidence that it was painted. It truly was an image from heaven. Our Lady in this image is pictured as a pregnant woman, the sign given by the sash that she wore. The ornamentation is all of the Aztec culture and the color of her skin gives her the name “la morena,” the brown one. It was after this apparition that thousands and thousands of Indians were converted to Christianity. It was the first moment of the inculturation of the faith in America.

Also, we must recognize the new Mexican immigrant presence here in the Diocese. Until 10 years ago, Mexicans were few in number, but in the last 10 years we have seen the numbers grow. The numerous celebrations of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day, including mariachi bands, roses in abundance and processions, give clear testimony to the ever-present Mexican population.

For the last several years, we have celebrated a noon-day Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph for an overflowing congregation (See Page 6). At the end of the Mass, torches are lit and the torch bearers, who are dressed in white, run back to their parishes, reenacting the run of St. Juan Diego from the hill of the apparition to the Bishop’s house to give Mary’s message.

The Mexican people have a special devotion to Our Lady and it is manifested in their clear and persistent faith. Although Mexico has undergone many challenges to the faith, including the Mexican revolution when Catholicism was practically outlawed, the faith of the common people has never waned; it has been sustained by the devotion to the Blessed Mother. We are indeed fortunate in our own Diocese to have among us the descendants of the first converts of evangelization in America, who now will challenge us to continue to evangelize them and others. They come both to be evangelized and to be evangelizers.

I issued a short pastoral letter for the diocese and especially for the undocumented Latino population restating the Church’s care for them and promising the Church’s full support and advocacy in the future. The letter is re-printed below.

As we put out deeper into Advent, our goal is the realization at Christmas that Christ took upon Himself human nature and suffered the exodus to Egypt at a young age. We pray especially during Advent for all migrants and refugees.

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Statement by Bishop DiMarzio to Immigrants in the Diocese

“In the Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis closing the Year of Mercy, our Holy Father begins with the words, “Misericordia et Misera” which were the words St. Augustine used in recounting the story of Jesus’ meeting with the woman caught in adultery (Jn 8:1-11). Augustine describes the event by giving the two new names to Christ and the adulteress, “Mercy with misery.”

“Our Holy Father reminds us that although the Year of Mercy ends, the showing of mercy to those confronted with misery is important. The spiritual and corporal works of mercy, especially welcoming the stranger, are founded on the beatitudes that Jesus annunciated on the Mount; they are the best ways of evangelizing the world today.

“This letter is written as comfort and support to the many immigrants – documented and undocumented – who find themselves in our diocese in Brooklyn and Queens and who at the present time, find themselves in a miserable condition because of a change of the administration of our Nation which has threatened many with deportation.

“There is no doubt that we need to restore sensible immigration policies in our nation, notwithstanding the need for security in our country which is compromised by the presence of 11 million undocumented persons. The deportation of these people will not guarantee security. We know that a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, will not remedy the situation.

“As the poet Robert Frost reminds us, ‘Walls do not make good neighbors,’ and will not alone insure security. Dialogue with our neighbors is most important. And the legalization of those already here who are well established and working is a critical necessity.

“The Bishops of the U.S., in solidarity with all immigrants, have pledged to advocate for just and equitable laws governing migration to our country. I, as your bishop, speak to you immigrants and to all members of our Church who stand ready to assist you and understand your plight. You, and the many of you who have American-born children, will be the subject of our advocacy and protection as far as we can offer it to you.

“Please be assured that we will always welcome the stranger amongst us, no matter what is your legal status, and exhort the fellow members of our diocese in Brooklyn and Queens to do the same. The law of God takes precedence over human laws, and to this we must be witnesses.

“As we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, you may be assured that we pledge our support and invoke the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of Mexico and Patroness of the Americas, to whose intercession we fly unto at this time of need.”

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