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NOVI — The Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Novi held a community celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12.
According to Gabriela Vazquez, Hispanic ministry director at Holy Family Novi, Our Lady of Guadalupe is considered the “empress of the Americas and as such the Catholic Marian feast in her honor is a big deal for the Hispanic community in the United States.”
Holy Family Novi has a large Hispanic population of approximately 25% of the parish. This year’s celebration included Concheros dances performed by the Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo under the direction of Elsa Carrera in the church prior to the Mass, which was presided over by Arturo Cepeda, auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit. A group of young men paraded an altar featuring the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and dozens of roses around the church. The dance group later performed several other dances from varying regions of Mexico during a complimentary dinner. Vazquez and Santiago Fernández, director of music and worship at the church, later performed traditional Mexican songs as people danced the night away.
The celebration has been a tradition at Holy Family Novi for the last 15 years. Cepeda has presided over the service for the last decade, according to Vazquez. She said the celebration hosts approximately 650 people annually and is put together by a large team of volunteers.
For more information, visit holyfamilynovi.org.
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