Thousands Expected at Downtown Cathedral

The annual celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is once again expected to draw thousands of faithful Catholics to the cathedral in downtown Dallas. Crockett Street and Ross Avenue will be closed around the cathedral beginning at 8 pm Sunday. Mariachis and matachines will perform throughout the evening on the cathedral plaza. Matachines dress in elaborate Aztec-inspired costumes and dance in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Dance is historically an expression of prayer for indigenous people that goes back many centuries.

The celebration at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, 2215 Ross Avenue, will begin on Sunday night, December 11, with the following activities.

Sunday, December 11, 2022,

5:00- 7:00 p.m. - Matachines dancers perform outside on the cathedral plaza.

7:00 – 8:00 pm -Rosary and Novena 8:30-11:30 pm -Serenade to the Virgin inside the church

Monday, December 12, 2022,

12:00 am - Midnight Mass in Spanish celebrated by Bishop Edward Burns and Cathedral Rector Father Jesús Belmontes.

6:00 am - Singing of Las Mañanitas to the Virgin. Hundreds are expected to attend.

7:00 am - Mass in Spanish

7:00 pm - Mass in Spanish closing the Novena and Feast Day

The annual observance of the feast day recalls the miraculous apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico, in December 1531. Because she appeared to a humble, indigenous man and left her image on his “tilma,” or cloak, the Virgin of Guadalupe has been a symbol of compassion and hope for people around the world. Father Belmontes notes the importance of the day, “The Virgin of Guadalupe is a beloved symbol of compassion, dignity and hope for the poor and marginalized. Let us pray that the Blessed Virgin continues to help bring about understanding, peace and dignity for all people.”

The Virgin of Guadalupe is the official patroness of the Americas. Last year some 30,000 people attended services over two days. While the cathedral observance is by far the largest celebration of the feast in the diocese, the feast day is also observed at numerous other area parishes, as well.

The Catholic Diocese of Dallas comprises nine counties (Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall) and 1.4 million Catholic faithful.