St. Mary Academy celebrates Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 17, 2021 at 6:19 p.m.
The event, a prayer service for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, was organized by St. Mary Academy staff with the guidance of Father Walter Quiceno, parochial vicar.
The inspiration for the service began a decade ago when the newly ordained Father Quiceno began serving in his first parish assignment, St. Jerome Parish in Long Branch, and it’s a tradition he's carried to each parish to which he's been appointed since.
A group of kindergartners brimming with enthusiasm greeted the priest as he entered, exclaiming, "Father, Father, we know all about Juan Diego!"
"They [the kindergarteners] made my day!" said a smiling Father Quiceno. "I hope that wherever I minister that the kids can become very devout to Our Lady and that they know what happened in 1531 on the hill of Tepeyac."
As the service began, the youngest students entered wearing paper tilmas they made, bearing the image of Our Lady. Each carried a single rose that would be placed in vases at the foot of the altar with the assistance of members of the parish’s Hispanic Ministry.
An extraordinary life-size replica of the wall and image of Our Lady, as it appears presently at the Shrine in Mexico, took a team of dedicated parishioners several days to design and construct. [TikTok Embed- https://www.tiktok.com/@garciapropertymaintence/video/7040952441294048517?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=7002358163315951110&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0 ]
Volunteer Maria Villanueva recalled her own visit to Guadalupe, Mexico. She was profoundly moved, "Just seeing how much devotion everyone had to Our Lady of Guadalupe."
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Older students then expertly led the school in reciting a bilingual Rosary. When asked if they had learned the prayers in Spanish for this event, Emerson, a sixth grader, countered, "When we first had Spanish class, we learned the prayers right away. The Hail Mary, Our Father and Glory Be…that was in, like, third or fourth grade."
As the Joyful Mysteries concluded with the Sign of the Cross, the first and second graders took their places before the sanctuary, where they performed a rendition of "Magnificat: My Soul Rejoices" [FB Embed - https://fb.watch/9URcxwWusM/ ]
First-grade teacher Maureen Healey, who helped organize the event, shared, "They [her students] consider her their mother, and [know] that they can turn to her and be comforted."
After the final blessing, groups of students gathered before the enormous replica of the Guadalupe Shrine wall and image, pausing silently before returning to their classrooms.
Third-grade teacher Barbara Vidal said of the day’s event, "My hope is that we plant seeds of faith and that we really help deepen their love of God, love of our Blessed Mother, and learn the traditions of our faith.
"So as they grow older, they carry this with them. That's the goal every day. To plant these little seeds that then God can use to grow them into the people he's calling them to be."
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The event, a prayer service for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, was organized by St. Mary Academy staff with the guidance of Father Walter Quiceno, parochial vicar.
The inspiration for the service began a decade ago when the newly ordained Father Quiceno began serving in his first parish assignment, St. Jerome Parish in Long Branch, and it’s a tradition he's carried to each parish to which he's been appointed since.
A group of kindergartners brimming with enthusiasm greeted the priest as he entered, exclaiming, "Father, Father, we know all about Juan Diego!"
"They [the kindergarteners] made my day!" said a smiling Father Quiceno. "I hope that wherever I minister that the kids can become very devout to Our Lady and that they know what happened in 1531 on the hill of Tepeyac."
As the service began, the youngest students entered wearing paper tilmas they made, bearing the image of Our Lady. Each carried a single rose that would be placed in vases at the foot of the altar with the assistance of members of the parish’s Hispanic Ministry.
An extraordinary life-size replica of the wall and image of Our Lady, as it appears presently at the Shrine in Mexico, took a team of dedicated parishioners several days to design and construct. [TikTok Embed- https://www.tiktok.com/@garciapropertymaintence/video/7040952441294048517?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=7002358163315951110&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0 ]
Volunteer Maria Villanueva recalled her own visit to Guadalupe, Mexico. She was profoundly moved, "Just seeing how much devotion everyone had to Our Lady of Guadalupe."
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Older students then expertly led the school in reciting a bilingual Rosary. When asked if they had learned the prayers in Spanish for this event, Emerson, a sixth grader, countered, "When we first had Spanish class, we learned the prayers right away. The Hail Mary, Our Father and Glory Be…that was in, like, third or fourth grade."
As the Joyful Mysteries concluded with the Sign of the Cross, the first and second graders took their places before the sanctuary, where they performed a rendition of "Magnificat: My Soul Rejoices" [FB Embed - https://fb.watch/9URcxwWusM/ ]
First-grade teacher Maureen Healey, who helped organize the event, shared, "They [her students] consider her their mother, and [know] that they can turn to her and be comforted."
After the final blessing, groups of students gathered before the enormous replica of the Guadalupe Shrine wall and image, pausing silently before returning to their classrooms.
Third-grade teacher Barbara Vidal said of the day’s event, "My hope is that we plant seeds of faith and that we really help deepen their love of God, love of our Blessed Mother, and learn the traditions of our faith.
"So as they grow older, they carry this with them. That's the goal every day. To plant these little seeds that then God can use to grow them into the people he's calling them to be."