Solidarity with immigrants marks Marian feast

Catholics across the country celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe this week, a religious holiday that now ranks with Christmas and Easter in the US in terms of participation, writes Michael Sean Winters.

The US bishops’ conference (USCCB) also dedicated the feast as a day for solidarity with immigrants: 55 special Masses and other services across the country were specifically designed to demonstrate such support, including a Mass at St Peter’s Church, in the shadow of the US Capitol in Washington.

“As we enter the Advent season and Christmas approaches, we are reminded of the unique role and importance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a unifier and peacebuilder for communities. We honour her role as protectress of families, including those families separated and far from home,” said Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, Texas, and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration.

The largest celebration was in Des Plaines, Illinois, where over 100,000 people braved sub-zero temperatures at the shrine in the Chicago suburb.