December 12
Today, we’re sharing a reflection from Alison M. Benders, JD, PhD, Vice President of Mission and Ministry and Executive Director of the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education, which highlights the significance of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
On December 12, we join people in Mexico and the United States to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe. Catholics remember the Virgin’s appearances to Juan Diego in 1531 on the Tepeyac Hill. She instructed him to ask the bishop to build a chapel in her honor. As proof of her message, flowers poured out of his cloak before the bishop and an image of Our Lady remained on the fabric. That cloak now hangs in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where millions of faithful come to visit every year. This year is the 492nd anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe!
Santa Clara University has a rich history of celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe. The side altar at the left of the nave in Mission Santa Clara is dedicated to the Virgin. We will celebrate noon Mass on Dec. 12 for the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and we hope you will join us if you’re in the area.
The Diocese of San Jose will be celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe with masses in Spanish and English and with a procession, some of which will be live-streamed across the world.
Alison Benders serves as the Vice President of Mission and Ministry and Executive Director of the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education, and is charged with developing and executing a strategic vision for activating the Jesuit, Catholic Tradition and the broader mission of Santa Clara University to the campus community and beyond.