Thousands of Dallas Catholics gathered downtown Tuesday to celebrate a historic cathedral's first holiday under its new national shrine status.
The National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, formerly known as the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, was recognized as a national shrine by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in September.
Father Jesus Belmontes, rector of the cathedral, said it's been emotional to see what was already a treasured site in the Dallas Catholic and Hispanic community recognized on a national level.
"Especially for all those immigrants that they feel, like, orphaned in this country," Belmontes said. "This is a triumph for them. It is like an oasis where they can feel just refreshed and relieved that they belong here."
A shrine is noted in Vatican law as a “sacred place to which numerous members of the faithful make pilgrimage for a special reason of piety, with the approval of the local ordinary.”
Dec. 12 is recognized in Catholicism as a feast day marking what is believed in the religion as the day the Virgin Mary appeared before Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531. She's said to have appeared to the man in a series of what are known in the faith as Marian apparitions.
A basilica in Mary’s honor was subsequently erected in Mexico City. It displays a cloak with what some believe to be an image of Mary, which is said to have belonged to Diego.
The Dallas cathedral was first dedicated in 1902 as the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, according to the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. In the mid-1970s, then-Bishop Thomas Tschoepe invited a nearby, predominantly Mexican church named Our Lady of Guadalupe to merge with Sacred Heart to become the Cathedral Shrine.
Dora Villasana has attended the National Shrine Cathedral for 20 years and became a church volunteer a few years ago. Villasana, 40, said the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe has been close to her heart since her late grandmother shared it with her as a child.
An immigrant herself, Villasana said the cathedral holds such importance for Dallas Catholics because many haven't been able to honor their faith by making the popular pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.
"Today is very important for all Hispanics, not only Mexicans, but all Hispanics," Villasana said.
The Dallas cathedral held Mass in both English and Spanish Tuesday, with sanctuary pews filling throughout the night as visitors piled in homage.
Feast day festivities concluded with mariachi and matachines performances — indigenous Latin American dancers wearing tasseled dresses and feathered headpieces marched and twirled around a statue of the Virgin to the thundering beat of drums.
Outside the cathedral, sidewalks were similarly packed with visitors praying to another statue of the Virgin and enjoying tamales, churros, hot chocolate and other snacks from vendors.
Dallas native Jessica Vazquez said she'd never seen the cathedral so packed, and it warmed her heart. She said she enjoyed seeing Catholic traditions besides Christmas get the spotlight.
"It's just lively," Vazquez said. "I love it. Like, I love to see people just come out and just do this for this special day. I really wish it was more often, just instead of the one day. But it's beautiful."
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