Fears of immigration officials showing up in migrant communities did not keep thousands of Mexican nationals from attending the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the downtown Dallas cathedral carrying her name.
Dec. 12 is the day that commemorates her appearance to Juan Diego, a Nahua man, whom she asked to build a shrine on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City. Since then, La Virgen de Guadalupe became the patron saint of Mexico. Her feast day is one of major cultural significance.
As people lined up outside the door to attend mass Thursday evening, matachines–dance troupes who perform ritual dances in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe –performed on the street in front of the cathedral. They wore regalia with the Virgin de Guadalupe’s photo on them, as incense burned in the streets. Street vendors sold ponchos, T-shirts, roses and homemade champurrado. Mariachi music from inside the cathedral could be heard at the church entrance.
Despite the outward festivities, there was an undertone of fear among the migrant attendees.
Rogelio Trujillo Ortega, who has been performing with a matachines group with family for almost a decade, said many devotees were afraid to attend because of fears of immigration agents showing up, but he wanted to continue his tradition of honoring La Virgen de Guadalupe…