At 6 a.m., most people are just getting up, but on Monday morning, Dec. 12, about 300 community members and students were already at St. Mary’s School for a sunrise celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“We had volunteers arrive by 5 a.m. to prepare for the day’s events and make breakfast for everyone,” St. Mary’s School Principal Michelle Cox said in a press release. “Then a little before 6 a.m. community members and students came.
“People are always surprised when I tell them we start school before sunrise,” Cox added. “It’s a real joy seeing their smiling faces and hearing laughter that early in the morning.”
The large group celebrated La Virgen de Guadalupe, “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” They sang songs, including “Las Mañanitas,” and prayed before sharing a community breakfast. Students performed a re-enactment of the 1531 visitation of Our Lady of Guadalupe to a peasant farmer, Juan Diego, on a hill near Mexico City.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of the Americas and holds a very special place in the hearts of many people in the Santa Maria Valley. By celebrating, we join with millions of people around the world honoring the events and praying for a bright future,” Cox said in the release. “St. Mary’s School is the heart of the community where we celebrate and teach our heritage and beliefs.”
After attending Mass, students created crafts, from tilmas to Christmas ornaments, commemorating the special day before participating in a flower procession and assembly.
This article appears in Dec 22-29, 2016.