The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-01-03

ing an account of the religious festivl-
tiVes which took place i'm Mexico on
the festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe
and asks, Is this holiday a recognized
holiday by the church, Does the
Church sanction such practices? Is
this any part of the practices Of the
Roman Catholic Church?
We presume the person who sent
this clipping wants to know if this is
a holyday of obligation (not holiday
recognized by the Church. We answer,
yes. If by "such practices" he means
the honoring of the Blessed Virgin
Mary under the title of Our Lady
of Guadalupe we also answer, yes.
Evidently the person who sent in this
enquiry has lot to learn about the
Catholic Church, her teachings and
practices. An intelligent Catholic
knows very well that the same holy
days are not observed all over the
world. Thus, for instance, st. Patrick's
Day is holyday in Ireland and not in
other countries, because st. Patrick
is the patron Saint of Ireland. So,
also, the festival of Our Lady of
Guadalupe, which falls on December
IL, is holyday in Mexico because it
is the patronal Feast of the country.
A few words about this famous
shrine may not be out of place. The
Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is
located about three miles northeast of
NFAxySnN nd hnr hn
of pilgrimages since 1881. During the
intervening years the original shrine
has been beautified and enlarged into
a magnificent church which was raised
to the dignity of Basilica by our Holy
Father Pope Plus x. in 1904. The
origin of this shrine is miraculous. On
December 9, 1881, the Blessed Virgin
Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a
neophyte, fifty-fve years old, as he
was on his way to Mass. She babe
him go to Bishop Zumarraga and ask
him to build a church on the spot
where she stood. On hearing his story,
the Bishop questioned him, and in
order to test the reality of the vision
the Bishop asked him for sign from
heaven. A few days later the Blessed
Virgin again appeared, and when Juan
asked for a sign she babe him go to
a certain locality and gather roses,
although it was neither the time of
the year nor the place for roses. Juan
did as she told him and filled his
cloak with roses which he carried to
the Bishop. When he opened his
cloak, or tilma, a garment of coarse
cloth, and allowed the roses to fall at
the feet of the Bishop, a beautiful pic
ture of the Blessed Virgin Mary was
noticed on the robe. 1t represents the
Blessed Virgin Mary in the conven-
tional attitude of pictures of the I'M
maculate Conception with the sun,
moon and stars and an angel support
ing the crescent From that time on
pilgrimages began to be made to the
scene of this apparition and a church
was built on the spot in which this
miraculous picture was placed and it
became known as Our Lady of Guada-
lupe. Pope Benedict XIV. decreed
that the Blessed Virgin, under the
title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, should
be the national patron. of Mexico and
made December II holyday of OBJ
legation and ordered special Mass
and Office for the Feast. Later on,
Pope Leo XIII. approved the complete
historical reference to this event
found in the Breviary and ordered the
picture crowned in his name and COM
posed poetical inscription for it. In
our own day Pope Plus x permitted
Mexican priests to say the Mass of
Holy Mary of Guadalupe on the twelfth
of every month and granted indul-
gences which may be gained in any
part of the world for prayers said be-
fore copy of this picture. So our
enquirer need not worry about this
matter. The Church has given her
sanction to this custom of generating
the Blessed Virgin Mary at Guadalupe
and it is entirely in keeping with Cath
Ollie doctrine and practice.
I. Is II sin TO powder or paint our
face? 2. Is It Advent until after
January 1, or can one dance on New
Years Day?
l. 1t is, if it is done with bad
motive Usually, however, it is form
of vanity INDUCED in by silly women
and girls who feel that they ought to
try to improve upon the handiwork of
the Almighty. Most people associate
painted and powdered females with
the underworld Sensible women and
girls do not indulge in such frivolous
practices. 2. Advent ends on Christ
mas eve. In some parishes an effort
is made to prolong the penitential
aspect of Advent until the first week
of January and during that time no
dances or other affairs of a joyous
character are allowed. But this is not
the general custom; and there is no
special prohibition of dancing on New
Years Day any more than there is on
any other day.
I. The question has been brought
up whether or not mans soul goes
directly to heaven or hell, as he would
be judged by his mode of life while
here on earth, or If his soul rest in a
coma until the day of Resurrection. 2.
IT some Of the statements printed In
the paper called the Menace are un-
truths, why Is the printing Of such
statements permitted to 90 on week