As church’s Latino population grows, so does Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration

It’s cold and dark outside the Church of the Assumption in Richfield at 5 a.m Tuesday. At least a dozen parked vehicles idled in the lot, waiting for the church’s doors to open up.

The parishioners were eager to get a seat for the musical event to celebrate the feast day for Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.

The band known as Mariachi Estrellas de Minnesota walked down the aisle, playing “Las Mananitas.” The title means “early morning.” As in the Mexican ditty is sung early in the morning at birthdays and celebrations. And every Dec. 12 to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Church volunteer Jose Luis Mena, who dons a T-shirt featuring the image of Guadalupe clad in a dark teal and gold cloak, reflected on what the day means to him and others.

“These people come here in five in the morning to sing the mananitas, Happy Birthday to Our Lady of Guadalupe,” he said. “And they come in with hope, joys with everything, to give thanks to our mother for one more year … for all the miracles.

“That’s why it's so important for us.” 

The parishioners sang Las Mananitas to a statue of Guadalupe. It looks much like Mena’s T-shirt. Purple tulle and white lights encircled the statue. All of this is surrounded by what looks like long, white tulle drapes. Potted flowers held back the drapes to reveal the saint. At her feet were flowers left by congregants.

Guadalupe appeared four times to two Aztec men outside of Mexico City in Tepeyac Hill. She appeared before Juan Diego two times and once to Diego’s uncle Juan Bernardino sometime in December 1531 (exact dates vary). The Archbishop of Mexico City did not believe Diego’s account and said he needed a sign.

It came in the form of a cloak Diego wore when he went to see archbishop. It revealed an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, similar to the statue and the T-shirt Mena wore.

David Shaw is assistant pastor at the church. 

“It’s deep in their roots of their families, I think and so the significance of today is to bind them to their families and to their nation,” Shaw said. “Probably many people here may have not returned to Mexico for many years … so it’s a hugely significant day in many different ways.”

Mexicans are not the only Latinos celebrating the feast day, Mena said. The church’s Spanish-speaking members are also from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Venezuela.

Shaw said about half of the 2,500 congregants at the Church of the Assumption are Latino. 

The annual feast day began to be celebrated by the church around the time the Latino community experienced robust growth in Richfield. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latino residents have grown from 1 percent of the city’s population in 1990 to nearly 19 percent.  

Mena said he came to Richfield from Mexico in 1995. Back then, there were 15 or 20 Spanish-speaking congregants. The clergy aimed for more.

“I remember the priests used to just give little pamphlets in Walmart across the street, to invite people to come to do the worship here,” he said. 

As word spread of the Spanish Masses at the church, Latinos from the Twin Cities and Burnsville began to visit it.  

Former Richfield Mayor Maria Medina was the first Latina elected to the office of mayor in the state. She said Richfield is attractive not just to Latinos, but to other communities as well.

Besides, the city’s affordable housing, and convenient location to anywhere, she said, the city offers amenities, services and activities for families.

“Those are some of the reasons that a lot of Latino families have told me that Richfield is a very great place to be,” she said.

The mariachi band wrapped up. Mena tells parishioners that breakfast is waiting: tamales, sweet breads and coffee.

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