Bishop's Message: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception & Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

During this season of Advent, our Blessed Mother is honored by two special observances: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.
 
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a Holy Day of Obligation, commemorates Mary being conceived free of the stain of original sin.  In the Gospel for the solemnity, the Angel Gabriel proclaims, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28), recognizing Mary’s unique place in salvation history. 
 
Pope Francis explains, “Mary Immaculate does not look on herself. This is true humility: not looking on oneself but looking toward God and others” (Rome, Dec. 8, 2021). It is precisely for this reason that the Virgin Mary responds to the angel, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord!” In 1846, during the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore, the U.S. bishops unanimously named Mary, under her title of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the nation. 
 
The second significant Marian feast in December is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a celebration long revered among our Mexican brothers and sisters since her apparition to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac (Mexico City) over 491 years ago. In that encounter, Mary explained, “I am the Ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the one True God, by whom we live, the Creator of all things, the Lord of heaven and earth. I desire that a temple be built here soon, so that I may show all my love, my compassion, my help, and my protection, because I am your merciful mother.” 
 
Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patroness of Mexico in 1754 by Pope Benedict XIV, and formally named patroness of the Americas and of the New Evangelization in 1999 by St. John Paul II, who established her feast day as Dec. 12.
 
In the Diocese of Austin, we are privileged to call Mary, under her title of the Immaculate Conception, our patroness. I pray that we join together on these two days to give thanks and honor to our Mother Mary and invite you to join me at our Procession for Our Lady of Guadalupe tomorrow, Dec. 3, starting at St. Mary Cathedral and ending with Mass at San José Parish in Austin. May this devotion to the Mother of our Lord show our unity with Jesus, Mary, and one another during the 75th anniversary of this local church.