An integral part of Mexican, Catholic culture, the Virgin of Guadalupe was the image that helped convert thousands of people to Catholicism after the Spaniards abused early Mexican civilizations. Today, the tilma where she appears has been studied by dozens to prove its divine nature. On Thursday, December 12, 2019, Spanish class attended a presentation about the story fo the Virgin of Guadalupe and the student body experienced a bilingual mass for Her.
Presentations
Jesuit mom, Veronica Boy, gave presentations during every period on Thursday to Spanish classes. Giving the presentation in Spanish, Mrs. Boy taught many students about the history of the apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe. She spoke about the story of Juan Diego, a poor villager who witnessed the apparitions of Mary, and his journey of building a church dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Andrew Allred ’21 noted, “The presentation was eye-opening. Mrs. Boy was very knowledgable and animated in presenting, making it easy to follow along. The presentation as a whole was a great experience and knowledge booster of the story of Juan Diego.”
Mrs. Boy remarked, “It was an absolute gift to share with the Jesuit community my faith, my beliefs, my culture and ultimately my whole self during the presentations of Our Lady of Guadalupe. To engage with the students was such a beautiful experience to me, especially when they would break the silence and asked questions. I also truly enjoyed sharing a meal amongst the students and teachers; the whole day was a real blessing to me.”
The Mass
A group of Jesuit mothers met Wednesday evening to prepare the altar for the upcoming mass. They decorated the altar with white roses and other flowers for the Virgin of Guadalupe.
The next day at the mass, students helped to produce a bilingual experience to immerse the school in the culture of the origins of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Father Carlos Esparza, S.J., Class of ’98, presided over the mass where all the readings, the songs, and the prayers of the faithful were in Spanish.Â
Ashton Casey ’20 commented, “I thought the mass yesterday was very unique that it was entirely in Spanish. It really speaks to how Jesuit wants to incorporate different cultures to promote solidarity.”
The Art
The students in our fall 2019 drawing class completed this multi-layered masterpiece recreating the Virgin of Guadalupe. Using items collected from around the school, the students, led by Mr. Howard and Mr. Williams, created this beautiful piece displayed at the entrance of the Terry Center for mass and now in front of the cafeteria. Nathan Spencer ’21 explained, “It was very interesting to see so many discarded items from around the school be put together to form a beautiful piece of art.”
Thank you to everyone who helped out in every aspect on Thursday.
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