Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrated in Milwaukee; students connect through song, prayer

MILWAUKEE - It may be cold, but the weather is not stopping local Catholics from partaking in the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Through dance and prayer, students at St. Joan Antida High School gathered for a special mass to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe.

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"I've always celebrated since I was little," senior Evelyn Albañil said.

It's the feast day faithful Catholics celebrate Jesus' mother, Mary, and her reported appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 in Mexico.

"We've always gone to misa, we have always gone to celebrate La Virgen de Guadalupe," senior Brianna Macias said. "My middle name is Guadalupe; Brianna Guadalupe Macias, and I feel like that plays a big role in my life. I've always looked up to her."

It's a sacred religious festivity that's become a beacon of hope.

"There's a lot of uncertainty whether you're looking at the social, political climate, the economy, things like that," St. Joan Antida High School President René Howard-Páez said. "And so, especially for the Latinos here and for all of our students, it's a constant reminder of where we come from and what to be hopeful for."

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People provide offerings like flowers, dance and prayers to give thanks.

"I pray for my family always, my friends, so that their studies, I know college is coming up, finals," Macias said. "I'm praying for them so they do really good."

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated across the country and around the world.