CONCLUSION OF THREE-MONTH ARCHDIOCESAN CELEBRATION FOR THE FEASTS OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE AND SAINT JUAN DIEGO

His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York will serve as the main celebrant of the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Youth Mass on December 12, 2016 at Saint Patrick's Cathedral at 10:00 a.m. The Mass will be one of the various events concluding the three-month archdiocesan celebration of the Feasts of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego.

In response to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops call for a day of prayer with focus on migrants and refugees, the Archdiocese of New York began its celebrations in August 2016 where the pilgrim Archdiocesan statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego visited various parishes of the archdiocese. The central offices of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New York have been able to provide crucial services to a vulnerable and often voiceless population of migrants. "Catholic Charities has a long history of compassionately welcoming and effectively integrating immigrants and refugees to their new home in the United States. Our efforts have reunited families, obtained authorizations for work, taught English and civics, resettled refugees and protected unaccompanied children from Central America and other parts of the world. We continue this work today," said Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities

In 2013, two new leaders were selected by the Archdiocese of New York to restructure the celebrations: Father Santiago Rubio and Mr. Jaime Lucero. Father Rubio, the Spiritual Director of the Archdiocesan Committee of Our Lady of Guadalupe said, "It is our hope these continued events are going to be a motivation, a call to conversion. The most important aspect of these celebrations is we are providing a more consistent spiritual effort in guiding the people to continue to cultivate Marian devotion in all of the communities of the Archdiocese of New York. The invitation is open to all of our faith communities to visit the parishes and receive a special blessing from our Blessed Mother." The goal of the celebrations is to unite all those who are devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego and become active participants of the celebrations. Mr. Jaime Lucero the President of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Committee for the Archdiocese of New York said, " May we stand together around the love and affection we all share for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and my humble invitation is to celebrate together on the feast days of the 11 and 12 of December to commemorate these very special days for all the people."

Additional celebrations at Saint Patrick's Cathedral include:n

December 11, 2016
8:00 p.m.   Traditional Mañanitas (Vigil)n

December 12, 2016
8:00 a.m.   Procession from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
                              (14th Street and 8th Avenue) to Saint Patrick's Cathedraln

10:00 a.m.   Annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Youth Massn
  His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, main celebrantn
  Bishop Alfonso G. Miranda Guardiola, General Secretary of the Episcopal Conference                                in Mexico, homilistn

7:00 p.m. Annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Family Massn
  Bishop Alfonso G. Miranda Guardiola, General Secretary of the Episcopal Conference                                in Mexico, main celebrant and homilistn

Both Masses will include an opportunity for the traditional blessing of the children by the celebrants and the con-celebrants.