"And miles to go" Bishop Nienstedt's Pastoral Letter (English and Español

US bishops convene for annual fall meeting

Distinguished Service Award nominations being accepted

St. Aloysius celebrates Priesthood Sunday

Mark Steffl and Craig Timmerman ordained in Rome as deacons

New Area Faith Community plans and sites announced

Social Concerns

Care of elderly religious ensured by Retirement Fund for Religious appeal

Jubilarian's roots trace ack to Silver Lake, MN

Above ground burial becomes a reality at St. Anastasia, Hutchinson

Marian Grotto dedicated at St. Joseph , Rosen

Springfield youth & leaders journey to serve others

Not all the news is fit to print - what the media missed in the sexual-abuse scandal (part three)

Propagation of the Faith - a missionary outreach

Another successful festival!

Lay Ministry Scholarship application deadline January 15, 2004

Good News TV & Radio November

December Formation & Education Calendar

Bishop's December Calendar

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Posadas -

two Advent celebrations connecting diverse communities in a unity of faith

The short days and long nights of Advent are upon us. The season of waiting and anticipation has begun, and the Church calls all of us to prepare to receive the Lord Jesus.

We prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus in history 2000 years ago, we open our lives, homes and hearts to receive the Christ now, and we long for the coming of the Lord at the end of history.

During the season of Advent the Church calls us all to "wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our prayer, energy, life and attention are focused on God’s promise to come and save us from "the darkness of sin and death and to call us into his own marvelous light."

For many of us the spiritual practice of Advent centers on the Advent wreath. Many of our remembrances of the season revolve around the family gathered around three purple and one pink candle before, during or after an evening meal. For many of us the prayer of Advent came out of a tri-fold pamphlet printed in green ink, and we recall special feelings about lighting or blowing out the candles on our family Advent wreath. As the number of lighted candles increased, our impatience to begin Christmas celebrations grew almost unbearable.

In the world around us, the Advent season is a blur of preparation. Decorating our homes, baking, shopping, visits to neighbors and plans for holiday gatherings crowd our already busy lives. Our days and nights are consumed with preparations. For many people the season is almost overwhelmingly busy, but all of this preparation has as its goal a welcoming of the Lord into our lives.

The Hispanic community of our diocese is caught up in the same excited expectation, but its customs revolve around two great celebrations of the season. On December 12 the community observes the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and from December 16 through December 24 the community celebrates Posadas. These two moments in the life of the community define the Hispanic experience of Advent.

On December 12 the Hispanic community, and with special devotion, the Mexican and Mexican American communities, celebrate a series of apparitions of the Blessed Mother to St. Juan Diego, a native Mexican.

The message of Mary to Juan Diego was one of a compassionate God wanting to help his people. The Gospel was brought to the Mexican people in the words of Jesus’ compassionate mother. Her words penetrated the hearts and souls of a people in a time of darkness, crisis, change and despair. The message of Guadalupe is a message of hope and a declaration of a God passionately interested in his suffering people. In her final appearance to Juan Diego, Mary encouraged a suffering people to trust in the power of God’s goodness and in the promises of Jesus, her son. "Hear and guard this in your heart my dearest son, it is nothing that has frightened you, that afflicts you; do not let your face or your heart be troubled, do not fear this illness nor any other illness or affliction. Am not I, your mother here? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy? Do I not hold you in my cloak, in my embrace? Do you need any other thing?

The intimate concern of God for his people expressed in the appearances of Our Lady of Guadalupe has endeared the Blessed Mother to generation after generation of Mexicans, Mexican Americans and other peoples.

A recent discussion with several members of the Hispanic Ministry Committee of the Church of St. Mary, Sleepy Eye revealed strong and personal ties to the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Alejandro Moreno talked about his visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. "When I visited the Basilica I felt a special holiness, and the deep love of Our Lady for me and my family," he said. "I have always felt that Our Lady of Guadalupe is my family's protector and our encouragement in faith."

Gail Bromenschenkel talked about an emotional connection with Our Lady of Guadalupe, "As a mother, she understands my struggles and suffering. "

In Mexico nobody works on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it is a holiday. Businesses and other enterprises try to function, but the people have made it a holiday. In the United States these kinds of celebrations are not possible; employers are not able to close their businesses. Many communities celebrate on the weekend before or after the feast to allow people an opportunity to participate in the festivities. Masses celebrated to honor the feast are heartfelt expressions of trust, hope and devotion.

The Church of St. Pius X in Glencoe celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 11 and 12 each year. They begin their celebration with a midnight serenade and prayer known as Mañanitas. The community gathers at midnight to sing the traditional birthday song of the Hispanic community. The song is a way of waking up the day and congratulating the person on their special day. In the cold and the dark of a workday night about 100 people gather to sing, pray and offer flowers to Our Lady of Guadalupe on this day.

On December 12 the community gathers for a procession and Mass. The procession is traditionally led by two groups of Matachines dancers. Matachines dancers have their roots in the indigenous culture of Mexico, and dance in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe and her goodness to the indigenous people of America. Lety Salazar, the leader of the first group of dancers established in the diocese, organizes her group starting in October or November each year. They practice long hours for their once a year celebration. "We do this in honor of the Virgin," she says. "I feel that this is our prayer and our offering to God and to the Virgin on this special day. God has blessed us in her, and we dance to give thanks."

At the beginning of Mass people are given the opportunity to present flowers to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Young and old, families and single people come forward with flowers, pray and thank God for the great gift of Jesus’ mother in our midst.

After Mass the community gathers for a potluck dinner to continue the celebration. During the dinner the Matachines present their dances in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Preparing for Posadas

The preparations for the other traditional celebration of Advent, Posadas, are well underway by the time the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated.The celebration of Posadas is a commemoration of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and recalls their search for shelter or "posada." Posadas take the form of a novena. The community gathers for nine days of prayer and celebration. In Mexico people process from home to home in a neighborhood looking for welcome and an open door. At each stop in the procession people sing a traditional song asking for entry, and they are answered in song with a refusal to open the door. At the last home on the pilgrimage the door is open and people celebrate with hot chocolate, coffee, sweet rolls and traditional Christmas foods.

In Minnesota, an outdoor procession in the snow and cold is not possible and the community has adapted the celebration to new circumstances. The community gathers in one place, prays the opening prayers of the novena, moves outside for the song, and quickly returns indoors to finish the prayer and to celebrate.

Some parishes have combined the celebration with Mass, and only celebrate one of the days. Fr. Anthony Stubeda, director of the Office of Hispanic Ministry, worked with materials from the Mexican American Cultural Center to develop a bilingual celebration guide and booklet. The adaptation of these materials is used throughout the New Ulm diocese, and through the efforts of the Mexican American Cultural Center throughout the United States.

Fr. Stubeda explains the importance of the celebration in the following way, "The Hispanic community of the diocese has a personal experience of being strangers in a strange place. They have a deepunderstanding of the fear, worry and dependence of not knowing where to turn to for help. These celebrations of hospitality and welcome remind them of the importance of opening our hearts and homes to those in need."

Alejandro Moreno, from the Church of St. Mary, Sleepy Eye, explained his understanding of the celebrations in this way, "Posadas is a reminder of our need to rest with each other. It is an opportunity to open our home to our community and to give them a place to rest and celebrate."

Pam Astorga talked about the importance of welcome in the Posadas, "We have all been rejected strangers, and our celebrations help to gather everybody from the community. Sometimes we don’t know each other well, but at Posadas we are all together."

These two celebrations, Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Posadas are family oriented Advent observances of our faith in the God of promise and hope. "While these celebrations are different from the celebrations around Advent wreaths to which we are accustomed, they are exuberant proclamations of the coming of the Lord. They can serve as bridges between our communities. They can be ways for us to celebrate our common faith expressed in a myriad of wonderful ways," comments Fr. Stubeda.