By Jennifer Mauro | Correspondent

“I am a gift of mercy,” Rosalina McCarthy said with a smile as she sat in a pew in St. Joseph Church preparing to recite the Rosary.

“Mary saved my life.”

McCarthy, 72, of Manchester was one of hundreds who filled the Toms River church Dec. 12 where a Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the “Patroness of the Americas was going to be celebrated.

Wearing a lace white shawl over her graying hair as she sat reverently near a flower-covered shrine of the Lady of Guadalupe, she explained how in 1986, she was in a life-changing car accident that put her in a coma for 10 days.

“Before my accident, I disobeyed all Ten Commandments,” McCarthy said. “But during my coma, I saw God,” she said, adding that she was certain she was going to die. “I could hear him in my ear saying, ‘It is time to go.’ And I remember saying, ‘Please don’t take me. I have four children.’ But it wasn’t until I said, ‘God forgive me,’ that I woke up.”

McCarthy, who is now a pro-life activist, was open in saying that she had an abortion as a young girl. Looking up at the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the ribbon tied high around her stomach —a sign of maternity — McCarthy said she adores the Blessed Virgin Mary because “she is the mother of all unborn children.”

The Lessons of ‘Guadalupe’

McCarthy’s story of redemption, prayer and hope was one of many around the church as both Latino and non-Latino parishioners celebrated the story of Juan Diego and the Virgin Mary.

It was in 1531 in Mexico that the Virgin Mary appeared to the elderly peasant, calling on him to convince the bishop to build a church in her honor. When the bishop refused numerous times to believe his story, Our Lady asked a discouraged Juan Diego to present the faith leader with roses picked from the hill where she appeared. Juan Diego gathered the roses and presented them to the bishop. As he unwrapped the flowers, both men were stunned to see an image of the Blessed Mother miraculously imprinted on his cloak. The church was built and has helped unite Latinos and convert millions to Catholicism since.

Parish pastoral associate Carrie Barillas said the story of Guadalupe is a good example of how everyday people can help build God’s Church.

“We can help form people in faith,” she said. “We have to talk to people about doctrine, about what we believe. Much of the community’s faith is based on tradition. But we also need to know the ‘why’ of what we do.”

Father Carlos Aguirre, parochial vicar, said one of the lessons that comes from the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is that the Blessed Mother calls everyone to trust in her.

“ ‘Don’t worry, I am here; I am your mother,’ she says to Juan Diego,” Father Aguirre said. “That’s the message she carries. That if we put our worries in the hands of God, everything’s going to be fine.”

That may have been one of the thoughts on Father Scott Shaffer’s mind as he celebrated Mass, preaching his homily first in English, then again in Spanish. The pastor of St. Joseph Parish doesn’t speak Spanish, but practiced his homily so that he could deliver his message.

“Mary has played a great role in the history of the world,” he said, relaying the story of Juan Diego. “Ever since that day, Our Lady’s message of hope has healed and inspired,” he said to applause as he finished the Spanish version of his homily.

A message of healing is one that Hugo Altamirano heard seven years ago after his appendix burst, making him so ill he nearly died. Taking more than a month to recover, the 25-year-old man from Toms River prayed to the Blessed Virgin.

“She means everything to my faith,” he said, standing with his three brothers, all wearing ancient Aztec costumes for a special dance performance after Mass.

He explained that he promised the Blessed Virgin that he would participate in the Lady of Guadalupe celebrations when he was well.

“She did a lot for me, and this is the least I can do for her,” he said.

Building Bridges

Altamirano and his family joined parishioners as they left Mass and followed a procession of the Virgin Mother through the parking lot of the church. Hundreds carried candles and recited the Rosary as they walked behind the Guadalupe statue under a cloudless night sky.

The procession ended at the community hall, where traditional Spanish music, food and Altamirano’s Aztec dances were on the menu.

Father Aguirre smiled as he finished a dance with one of the parish children, happy with the turnout. He said the celebration was the culmination of more than six months of  hard work by the parish’s diverse communities working together.

“That’s the gift of the Lady of Guadalupe,” Father Aguirre said, explaining that members of the parish come from all backgrounds, such as Costa Rica, Peru, Honduras, Mexico and Columbia, to name a few. “She’s not only the patron saint of Mexico, she’s the queen of all countries of Latin America. She helps us to be united.”

Barillas said she’s seen a major increase in the number of Latinos in Toms River and nearby towns, something reflected in St. Joseph Parish. She attributes the influx of Latinos at the parish to the growing number of new Hispanic ministries at the church such as Spanish Bible classes, faith formation and children’s classes.

She said she was pleased that the non-Latino parishioners seem to enjoy the Hispanic heritage, too. “Our main focus is integrating both communities together. We try to do a lot of bilingual events.”

Father Shaffer said he’s seen the Latino population grow tremendously in the three-and-a-half years he’s pastor of St. Joseph Parish. “There’s something to be said about having a resident priest who is Hispanic,” he said of Father Aguirre, who is from Colombia.

Father Aguirre said that when he came to St. Joseph Parish around three years ago, there were only 120-150 attendees at the Spanish Mass. Now, the church sees upward of 500.

“The best part is that we don’t feel like two communities — we feel like one. The Anglo community opened their hearts and welcomed the Hispanic. That’s the real Gospel.”