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Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration planned
archived from: 2009-12-07
by: Pittsburgh Catholic Staff

The diocese is set to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a Mass in St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood on Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m.

Bishop David Zubik will officiate at the annual observance.

Parishioners of St. Regis in Oakland, together with the Latino communities from St. Paul in Butler and Holy Rosary in Muse, are overseeing the celebration.

Ceremonies will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the arrival of the image of Our Lady from St. Regis Church at the cathedral entrance.

Bishop Zubik and the congregation will greet her with the singing of Las Mananitas, followed by a procession into the cathedral with a color guard consisting of flags of many nations with Latino and Hispanic populations.

Music will be provided by a mariachi band and the choir from St. Regis, joined by Latino singers from the other communities.

“This year we are going to have increased participation by the Latino communities of St. Paul Church in Butler and Holy Rosary in Muse,” said Father Daniele Vallecorsa, pastor of St. Regis and chaplain to the Latino Catholic Community in the diocese.

Children representing all three Latino communities will give the prayers of the faithful, while families from all three areas will also take up the offertory gifts to present to the bishop.

“The fact that we’re able to be in the cathedral, with the participation of the Butler and Washington County communities, plus the fact that the bishop is there, is a great sign of the acceptance in the local church of our new immigrant community,” Father Vallecorsa said. “It’s a beautiful tradition of faith-sharing.”

Mary Agnes McKay, an active volunteer with the Latino Catholic community at St. Paul in Butler, said the parish has already reserved a bus for the Mass that “filled up very quickly. The excitement level is so high.”

The parish offers a Mass in Spanish on the last Sunday of each month at 2:30 p.m. and draws together between 45 to 50 people from Puerto Rico, Mexico and Colombia, among other countries.

“We know there are many more people and one thing we are trying to do is outreach,” McKay said.

Former pastor Father Harry Bielewicz knew McKay spoke Spanish and sought her out to help meet the needs of the immigrants.

She works closely with Felipe and Marta Cantera of the parish, who had been trying to encourage the immigrants to stay close to the church.

“Felipe had been doing this on his own, reaching out to the people,” McKay said. “With Father Harry’s support,” the three try to meet the needs.

For the last four summers, the parish has accepted a Spanish-speaking seminarian from St. Vincent in Latrobe.

“What a blessing,” McKay said of the men. “Father Harry had worked very hard to be able to read and give the prayers in Spanish for the Mass. He had no one else.”

Though the parish didn’t get a seminarian this year, it did get a newly ordained diocesan priest, Father Nick Argentieri, who speaks Spanish fluently.

“He’s now doing the Spanish Mass,” McKay said. “God has been good to us. We know we’re meant to have this ministry at St. Paul.”

With the support of new pastor Father Steve Neff they hope to expand their outreach work.

The Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe will be followed by a reception in the cathedral hall.

Women of St. Regis are preparing desserts and area restaurants will also contribute foods for the reception. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 412-687-6292.

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