The torches have begun their journey around the Diocese.
On Oct. 25 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, people gathered to mark the beginning of the 2025 traveling torches in celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12. The 23 torches — with representative names such as Apparition Torch and Tilma Torch — will be on display in parishes within and beyond the Diocese throughout the month of November.
PHOTO GALLERY: Lighting of Guadalupe Torches 2025
The torch-lighting celebration included a Mass followed by a festive gathering of dancing, music and food. During the Mass, the chorus was accompanied by a mariachi band led by Yesenia Serrano Camargo, singer and dancer from St. Joseph Parish, Toms River. Her performance reflected the deep roots of Mexican culture and devotion to the Catholic faith and to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Serrano Camargo performed the song “Xochipitzahuatl” in the Nahua language. The title translates to “Little Flower,” and part of the song’s lyrics translate to “Let’s go, companions, to walk to Mary; let’s surround the Virgin, Mary of Guadalupe.”
Nahua is “a native language from Puebla, used by the Indigenous people of the region,” said Serrano Camargo. “I don’t speak it personally, but I can sing it. I learned it from videos and did my best to replicate the sounds of the language.”
Msgr. Joseph Roldan, cathedral rector, and Father Marco Antonio Padilla Aguilar, who was visiting from the Diocese of Tlaxcala, Mexico, concelebrated the Mass. The two priests, along with diocesan staff, presented the 23 torches to begin the celebration.
A growing tradition
In his homily, Msgr. Roldan emphasized that the lighting of the torches symbolizes that “Christ is the Light” and that we are “called to be a light in the world and for others.”
“Today we are honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe for her great role,” Msgr. Roldan said. “When we unite ourselves to the Mother of Christ, she becomes our mother, the Mother of God and our mother.”
This year’s theme, Woman of Hope, commemorates the 10th anniversary of this diocesan initiative.
“When we first started the Torches of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we began with just four torches,” said Jossie Ramos, coordinator of Hispanic Initiatives for the Diocese. “The second year, we had seven. Fast-forward 10 years, and so much has changed.”
“As we celebrate the 10th anniversary, we also look ahead to the 500th anniversary of the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, only nine years away; it’s very exciting,” Ramos said. She said the event’s success stems from the dedication of many people, including the Knights of Columbus, who have been “crucial, taking a leadership role in managing the traveling of the torches through their councils.”
Miguel Pedraza and Luis Pedraza Enciso, brothers and torch captains from St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, reflected on their 10-year involvement with the torches.
Luis Pedraza Enciso said the brothers have remained involved because of “the love for our Mother and the desire to do something for our faith.”
Miguel Pedraza reflected on the culture at the time of the Guadalupe apparition, when sacrifices involved the literal removal of the heart to offer it to the gods. While that custom is no longer applicable, he said, the Blessed Mother “wants our hearts in a spiritual sense.”
“I would tell everyone not to be afraid to give their heart. Let our Blessed Mother take care of it, and she will lead us to Jesus Christ. When Jesus lives in us, our lives change and transform,” he said.
‘The light that guides us’
Nick Petrillo, diocesan associate director of Marriage Ministries and Natural Family Planning and torch captain for the Star Torch representing Catholic schools, shared how the devotion to Our Lady “continues to touch the hearts and minds of people devoted to her.”
“To see the Church beyond what we’re used to, this Mass, the colors people are wearing, the music — it’s unlike anything we see at a normal Mass,” Petrillo said. “It’s a beautiful revelation, and it’s a way to welcome her into our hearts and homes. Who doesn’t want to spend time with Mom?”
Cristina Ramirez of St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, a dance group coordinator and part of the Inditas de Puebla, said she hopes that all who participate in the traveling torches will learn about the love of the Blessed Mother and that, “through her light and the faith we have in her, we can hold on to love and guidance in our lives.”
Maria Remedios Lopez Mateo of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, a third-generation Aztec dancer in her family and a representative of Danza Azteca San Juan Diego, thought about her father, who has been part of the Dec. 12 celebration at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. She said the lighting of the traveling torches is important because it “is the beginning of walking together to reach the day of the celebration of our Blessed Mother.”
“Without the light, we cannot walk,” Lopez Mateo added. “That is the message. I think it it’s the most beautiful thing I could say to anyone – that it’s the light that guides us.”